Autumn Vale
by elfenlied1012
Summary: The Faunus war was fought over many years and many locations, but none so important to Vale as it's Northern battles. Set in the third year of the Faunus war from multiple perspectives, Autumn Vale deals with the start of a conflict between the Schnee and the Faunus that would span generations. Part of a the Vale series. Rated T borders with M for blood, language, and sexual themes
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1. The Cats and Wolves of Fort Castle

Sir Guido the Knight for Hire

Autumn is a wretched seasoned, preferred only by the most wretched of people. A season where the world itself turns sick and begins to rot. The winds were rough, whipping through the forest adding a wet chill all night. The air was always cold, but muggy and the days grew shorter. Worst of all was the damned rain. Every day it seemed to rain, the cold turning it to ice water without even the decency to turn it to snow. At least than it would not soak into clothes and armor. That wretched rain always falling, thumping against helms echoing endlessly with every drop.

"Sir Guido,I still don't see why we can't use the cars for this. Wouldn't it be faster?" Well of course it would. A whole caravan of horse carried dust barrels and men at arms wasn't exactly fast. Three rifle dragoons in front including him, three in back, three wagons of creaking dust paid for by Fort Castle coin all on the backs of a dozen horses. They were slow as dirt, but with the rain they were as good as silent. Aside from that damn dinging noise inside his helmet. The gods seem content to let that torment him.

"Don't even start with me girl. You know it's too loud." Although the shouting wasn't helping much either. Guido felt nothing, but cold. The thin steel plates of armor he wore seemed to freeze to his skin, soaked in rain. His large six foot form was muted in the cold as the rain and water shriveled him up. Not the most attractive with greyed hair and messy beard, a knight getting on in age with no real lands to fall back to, but experienced in war. He had lived in the service of the Lady of Fort Castle for the last five years, predating this pointless revolt. The Faunus had ruined the peaceful enforcer's life he had in the mines, and with every mission he survived Guido's employers thought better of him. The better they thought of him the more work turned into dangerous missions of a hero, not the pleasant doldrums of a guard captain.

"Aren't we just as loud being a line of horses, sir." But not as loud as her apparently. The girl was inexperienced; the Faunus could hear anything a mile away with their demon ears the slightest reduction mattered. Nearly three years the knights of Fort Castle fought the damned rebel Faunus and never lost a battle, but the noose around Fort Castle's neck grew tighter as trade was destroyed by raiders and their numbers thinned when patrols went missing. Brigands they were, not real rebels. They were easy enough to kill, by blade or rifle, but they ran away and sniped with crossbows and longbows whenever faced by real knights. It was for that reason that no matter how much the rain echoed in his helm, Guido did not remove the damn thing. Faunus had left him enough scars already.

"What on Remnant would be the point of wasting barrels of dust running the cursed powder back and forth? Why even bother. Then when the Faunus kills you, we wouldn't even have dust enough to make it worth the effort." It was all the damned Schnee's fault. They ignored the kings call to force the Faunus to Menagerie, let them work in the dust mines, must be how they knew the shipments. Guido almost thought they might be cohorts. The rebels forced the price of dust up being needed for cannons and rifles and the Schnee would happily bleed the loyal lords dry. They could have raised an army to end the northern rebels, or shipped the dust in by airship to Fort Castle, but no they sat back and claimed neutrality. Schnee and Faunus, gods damn them all.

"I'm sorry sir.." His Squire muttered barely over the rain and for a moment the old Knight felt guilty. The kid was dressed in rags with barely a touch of armor. She was young, hair a loose blonde, common for the people of the southern cities. Her face was riddled with freckles, and expression haggard by the ice rain. Why they had assigned a soaked foolish southern girl to be his squire Guido could only ponder, if it wasn't too cold to do so.

"Regardless girl, how do you expect to become a knight with such shoddy horsemanship? You Southerners don't know the value of a good mount. When we get back I'll teach you better, may be that you'll become worth something to someone then." If they had the chance that is. The route made him nervous. The path from Fort Castle to the border of the Schnee lands was long winding road all riding along the White River. The river spun apart this far into the mountains though. In spring it would flow thick again, and in winter the water slow thin and freeze solid enough to double the roads size, but in autumn, the damnable month, it was nothing besides a wet sloshing mush of cold mud. It was too thick to run the horses off the road, and the other side against the river was a ledge, always a few feet above the cobbled road where the earth had been worn down by the flooded river. One of the caravans flanks were mudded over, the other cliffs too difficult to climb up, but easy for the enemy to drop down. If Guido survived another winter he swore he would rip down those cliffs himself come summertime.

"My mother said dust will end the age of horses. No need to learn how to ride better, that'll be for the farmers Sir. If you saw Vale you'd know for sure Sir." Vale was a filthy city, and Guido had enough of it, nothing but a collection of rich nobles and poor fools thinking they might be like them if they had the right dress. Only work for a man like Guido lie here, north of Forever Falls.

Somewhere in the bitterness Guido shut his eyes for just a moment, tired from a long wet muddy day. Falling asleep on horseback was a trick every old knight needed to know if they intended to survive a campaign or two, but at lead Guido couldn't let himself. Quick shot of a breath woke him up and ahead of them stood squarely in the road a figure.

"Hold you wretches!" Guido shouted pulling the reins on his own black mare. The horse kicked up acting all sorts of spooked, that as enough to make Guido reach for his dust rifle. What stood in front was a figure of impressive height taller by a foot than any man in his routine. The monster stood low to the ground covered in a thick blue and black armor, jagged with inscriptions of wolves. The plates ended in chain and blue fabric along the ends of its leggings and arms. The helm was black and carved with the expression of a wolf, the back having a small blue plum to it. Its right arm hosted a zweihänder up on the armored shoulder, the other hand held a tower shield; beaten and carved by claws of some sort of grim, but the face of a wolf seemingly scarred was ever present. A blue and black wolf was the symbol of no family Guido knew in Fort Castle Lands. "You there, the one dressed like some knight. What lands do you come from?" Black wolves in a dark forest, like the Beowolves of the Snowy Forest are never a good sign.

"I am no Knight, Sir. I am a Huntress." The voice was female, though rough and near a growl. Guido disliked that answer, huntresses and hunters were a bane of normal men in times like these. They were sworn to hunt and stop the encroaching grimm, but more and more Hunters and Huntresses were used in modern war. Dust had the grimm running leaving experienced hunters afoot with nothing but masterful combat training and gifts with the arcane arts of aura and dust. Legions of normal men-at-arms could be dealt with by a skilled huntress; Guido had seen it himself in previous wars. Nevermores in Human skin they were. Her station explained the armor and the damage to it, but all hunters and huntress that could be bought in the province sat in the comfy warm hearth of the Lady of Fort Castles. A huntress out here….

"Aye, neither are we, this here girl is a tradesmen we are just passing through. Wine merchant you see." Displaying arms and banners of Fort Castle proudly stopped months ago when no one wearing the colors ever came back. Guido was the first to refuse. The others knights called him dishonorable, the other knights were dead. His squire was at least smart enough to play his part, looking the bored merchant's girl with a whistling tune.

"Lot of rifles for wine merchants, Sir." The way the Huntress stood, right hand tight on that Blade. Guido clutched his rifle in return. Fire dust might not work in the rain, but his gun was loaded with force dust and a bolt of metal, it would end a huntress as well as traditional fire. Another Veteran's trick for rainy days. If things went bad, one shot in the heart would put the huntress down as well as any Grimm.

"Aye, a dangerous wood and that's where the money is made…" Guido said just above the rain, the conversation not going at all where he wanted. The Huntress was too cocky, gunners all ready to down the black wolf. Shots fired meant attracting brigands though, something to be avoided if their little merry band didn't feel like a taking a fist full of arrows to the back. "Are Grimm afoot?" Again Guido's horse began to panic slightly, the smell of that huntress irritating the mare, worst time for that sort of thing

"No, is only liars and Fort Castle men I see." The Huntress finished with a wolf's deep angry growl, animal enough to make his mare panic harder, kickin' up mud as Guido rushed to calm it.

Faunus.

"Gunner!" Guido shouted unable to settle his horse enough to aim. What should have been the burst of flaming dust was a shuffle in the trees. Another figure split apart into three shadows, each engaging the wagons gunners. The figures swift blades cut down the men and the shadows then formed into one, the Black Cat.

"It's Dust! Take them down!" Was all Guido could hear clearly before the back of their supple wagon was chewed up by crossbow bolts, a favorite of the Faunus rebels. His squire and dragoon companion both turned away, towards the shadows behind them, but Guido new better. Never turn your back to a howling wolf in the night.

Rifle out, lifted quicker than even the wolf expected. The bang rendered him deaf, and the spark of a shot striking the tower shield was the only light as that Huntress' Zweihander put down Guidos mare. The horse collapsed and Guido with it. The metal plate leggings acted as the brace and the weight horse snapped his leg when it fell on him. Mud splattered on his face, that same damning rain pounding on his helm and a pain so unimaginable in his leg that the knight had no words to shout or thoughts to form, just hatred of Autumn. More Faunus figures came from the shadows pulling down the squire girl and the horses. The pain dulled his sense of time, but eventually a boot to the back of the head put him out.

* * *

"On your knees!" Pressed on his broken leg Guido wanted to scream. The bastards knew he couldn't hope to stand, but they made him walk, bag over his head and leg shattered, some trail long forsaken by any gods he intended to worship. The mud now caked him as he fell with every step, but the mongrels wouldn't even let him lie down and bleed to death. Bastards dragged Guido back up and marched him. Sometime past, though the pain made it impossible to think how much before they shouted that order, and on Guido's knees he dropped feeling the shattered leg beg for relief. The old Knight was done.

"Unmasked them, they have a right to know their accusers!" The voice was matched with the shadow that ordered the assault, and though Guido had never met the man, he knew this brigand right away. A man of taller than average height, but his body slim and agile. His armor was thin, nothing more than patches of black boiled leather. They made a warn breastplate gauntlets and one shoulder brace on his left arm, any substantial armor pieces had a knife holstered to them and the young man carried a bow along his back, the rebellions preferred weapon. The whole was set strung together with white linen of some sort, shockingly pristine for a thug that did most his work in the mud. Hair was black as a raven reaching past normal ear length with added bangs, Faunus cat's ears popping between the silky straight strains. His mouth was hidden by a long black scarf that reached down his back. The cat's face was neither rough nor frightening, but the glow of yellow eyes was another story. An animal's eyes.

"The Black Cat of Fort Castle." The leader of Fort Castle's worst gang of rebels for the last year. Mostly miners from outside the Castle walls, but their numbers had swelled. Unlike previous rebel groups the Black Cat would not fight pitched battles; instead his band picked off patrols and let the knights dig themselves a lovely tomb inside the walls of Fort Castle. Starve them he intended to do, and some whispered the Black Cat was responsible for the fire inside the Castles grain stores. Some still thought he hid there, possessing the stray cats of the castle. Guido knew however, this was no magical beast, just an animal needing to be put down.

"My name is Charles, yours?" Rumor had it he was a cordial murderer, and despite the killing and being dragged through the damned forest Guido would almost agree. He spoke without much arrogance, instead had the tone of a humble victor.

"Sir Guido sworn to the service of Fort Castle. For now that is. Now let me sit off of my shattered leg brigand if you have any decency." Guido took the moment to look around. There was no escape; the fires around them illuminated the center of a massive camp. Faunus men and women rebels sat at every path, the sea of them having seemingly no end in either direction. Beside Guido was his Squire, panicked little girl she was. Around them a crowded gather, many faunus of many types were here. It was impossible to remember every face, but all shared the same level of distaste at them and smiles of victory. Beat an old man and captured a little girl, he bet their mothers were very proud.

"And you?" Charles asked the squire girl, ignoring Guido's request.

"She's just some stupid girl from Vale, some knight's little daughter. Worth nothing dead, might be worth a ransom if you leave her be." Guido shouted before the girl could answer with something stupid and dangerous. Not the right time to shout king's propaganda or say something to insult the Faunus leader. Guido was dead as soon as he was captured, a knight with no holdings and no family was worthless to keep, but the kid might make it as a hostage.

"Please sir, I didn't do anything-" The little one moaned between tears. Poor child should have stayed with her knightly mother then let herself go north for a squire's life in Fort Castle.

"That's to be decided and I am not a sir." Charles responded with a tone nowhere near as cruel as his words were. He lowered himself to speak to the girl more at her level, perhaps sympathetic to children, or other things. Either way was a better fate than death.

"The kid did nothing, sell her. It's money you're after anyways brigand and don't say you're not. I know you're type." Thieves is all they were. The smell of a dishonest day's wealth Guido believed would motivate the man to act where begging would not.

"You both stand charged with smuggling through Faunus lands, and you, Sir Guido, are charged with crimes against my people." Charles announced too much applause. So it was done, they would be killed and not a thing they could do about it. Guido cursed as they shouted and all hopes of escape closed on him.

"Oh get this sham over with. If you mean to kill us don't force me on broken knee all day to do so." Guido shouted the pain from his leg becoming too much to bear. To think his life would end in a case of smuggling. The autumn rain still dripping on his muddy form, Guido felt not sad, but angry. Why make him walk, why force him to his knees. So why not resist, he mused starting to stand on his good leg for support. What would they do, kill him?

"Shut it old man." A metal claw forced Guido back onto his knees. The beast from the forest stood behind him, still dressed in ornate heavy blue and black armor. The helm was off, and Guido confirmed the huntress for a faunus woman. Hair black and with long bangs, the giant wolf woman seemed to be trying and failing to hide a massive scar that traveled across her face. Whatever hope of that monster being pretty was ruined by her angry dark eyes and sharp fangs that made up most of her teeth. More wolf in that girl than any of the Faunus that he had ever seen in his travels.

"Oh bite it you bit-" Guido ended in a screech as a metal foot slammed on his bad knee. The monster clearly was not quite as cordial as its master.

"On the Crime of smuggling what do you say?" The Black Cat asked refusing to get off subject.

"Fort Castle still flies the flag of Vale, boy." Guido replied in a raised voice, he would die a knight not some smuggler. The mock court was not moved and the Black Cat only frowned.

"I'm not killing a little girl, Charles." The wolf girl shouted above the muttering around them. Guido thought if making a crack at if she wanted to eat her first, but thought better of it. This was the kids chance and bless her heart she wasn't so dumb as to do anything but cry. It was silent for a moment before the leader nodded at the huntress.

"I say we pardon the child, what of it friends?" Charles announced and the little squire squealed in joy collapsing in the mud. Guido did not rejoice yet, the crowd was shouting louder than ever nothing could be made out in this hellish court. "One at a time, please friends!" Charles shouted over the rest forcing a hushed angry silence. The wolf and Charles maintained their vote but not everyone was pleased.

"No, send a message." One woman called for in the back. "Aye a pardon." One of the younger men shouted, though he was covered in a hood, he seemed to garner enough respect that many voted with him. "Never, they wouldn't pardon a Faunus." One of older men shouted, a big miner of some sort, thirsty for blood, a few cried in support of that. "She's a little girl!" A woman shouted back with fury. All the while Charles stayed focused, Guido could see his ears twitch with every vote of the robbers jury.

"Enough, I think we know our answer. The squire stays a prisoner, but is pardoned for smuggling." Charles decreed, the kid cried laughing, and the half the crowd cheered. A notable number seemed displeased, and Guido knew nothing would convince them of his innocence. At least the squire would make it. Silly child, he couldn't even remember her name, calling her girl so much, but Guido was happy she would make it at least a little while.

"No such luck for me aye?" Guido muttered feeling the cold rob him of the usual vigor he had.

"You're not a little girl are you false knight?" The iron clad wolf mocked behind her black bangs.

"False? You're a huntress. Suppose to be killing grimm not men at arms, monster!" Guido shouted back at her. This wolf crawled under his skin like no other. Defenders they were supposed to be, now she was as much an enemy to mankind as the grim they hunt.

"Enough, Sir Guido, on top of charges that you have smuggled, you are charged for crimes against the Faunus people. You remember a young miner girl named Lucia, had ears like me and yellow eyes?" Guido did not like where this was going. The name of that Faunus did not ring any sort of bell, but until the war he never remembered the name of a single one of the miners he was supposed to control.

"Not really, I am a little rattled from the leg at the moment." This was definitely not good. The crowed had lost all the sympathetic eyes, even the cordial Charles seemed colder, angrier and malicious.

"She does. I also remember you." Must have been one of those times. Guido cursed the drink and all it made him do, all the moments he indulged in weaknesses as its effects started.

"I never did a thing without paying for it, Bandit." Guido argued, wanting less to die from this sort of accusation than smuggling. He remembered a few faunus girls, working girls, or so it should have been. Barely remembered those nights, but it certainly left him poorer.

"She said no."

"Made more than a minors wage. No law against what I did, I paid my dues." Guido could not remember well enough to deny it, but he always paid and well. It was frowned on, but not illegal if given compensation, well not for faunus girls. It was his only defense, and the old Knight knew as he said it, that it was just wind to the mob.

"What say we friends?." The black cat called for judgment and got his answer.

"Death." It was a bloody chorus song in angry shouts and slurs.

"Aye it is then." Guido whispered to himself knowing soon it would end. He was warned in his squiring days drink or women would be the end of him would his old master be laughing now knowing it was both. The thought made even him laugh.

"No question, miss Thrym, if you may." Charles ordered, and to his credit did not move. At Least the man had the honor to see it done as Guido felt himself forced onto a tree trunk, the end painted red._ 'The fate of some other knights huh?'_

"Down now, it's time Knight." The wolf, which he now knew had the surname Thrym, growled. She would enjoy this no doubt, as she raised her massive blade, Guido could see the small runes made of crystallized force dust on the center now, a fine weapon. Guido had no fight left; the pain in his leg was enough. He was tired now, wanting some rest. He knew why they had him placed by a tree chunk. Not even a hanging. Better this way, he didn't have to stand. Guido made no peace with the gods, no reason to. The rain was proof enough they wanted nothing from him, but to piss on his life. Autumn was truly a most wretched time.

"Swing hard and true now Wolf, else I'll come back and show you the proper way." Was all he had to say. The old knight shut his eyes, and soon the pain stopped. Even the rain eased it seemed as did the entire world to him.

**** Welcome to Autumn Vale, a standalone prequel of my Vale series. I hope you enjoyed and will leave many reviews it always helps guys. This story will be much more serious than Snowy Vale and even Melting Vale, so be aware of that. **

**So next chapter will include some actually known characters, namely the POV which will be Qrow so be excited. For those of you that maybe asking, "wait wasn't Fort Castle attacked by humans not Faunus?" Don't worry I got this, you'll see.**

**So I've kept the historical and legendary naming convention for this, and as characters leave the story, whether from death or just going off to do whatever it is they do I'll had a little context as to the name**

**Sir Guido is Sir Guy of Gisborne - Guido or even older Wido is the German original version of the French name Guy and is shared with the famous mercenary hired to kill Robin Hood in many Robin Hood myths. **

**Hope you all liked it and I'm still looking for a beta for Autumn Vale if you're willing PM me.**

**-Elfen**


	2. Ch 2: Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Roses

Ch. 2 Kings, Queens, Jacks and Roses

Qrow the Young Hunter

"Qrow, Qrow! I can see it!" Summer shouted from the top of the wheat cart, little red hood flapping in the Autumn wind. Qrow sat still, uninterested in the city's horizon. This should be just a short stop on the way to Vale, it was better there. They could live well off of his work in the capitol. No more cold winters for Summer, all they had to do was get enough money to run to Vale by Airship. Maybe they could leave for Mistral after that. Summer might miss the snow, but life there was peaceful and a Hunter could find good work. Either way, a warring Vale was no place for him to raise Summer.

"Brother, it's like you said, Winterplace!" Qrow leaned back into the grain stack of the carts rear, facing the back he just watched the Northwater River winding its way to meet the white river and wrap around Castle White. There they fused and became the Long-White running all the way to the sea. Qrow had a certain fondness for the Northwater. Not as big as the White, but it ran all the way from Snowy Forest, through Nördlichste Castle in the mountains. He grew up by the Northwater, and while summer likely was too young to remember, they swam in its rapids every time the warmer days allowed. This place was the end of his home river's reach, the last time he ever planned to see it.

"Wintertown, little one, Wintertown. Sit back down you'll bother our driver." Qrow called back to Summer. She was always a girl blessed with far more energy than Qrow had, among many other gifts. Much more excited about the journey than her older brother was, Summer had little to no connection with the old family village in Snowy Forest, though she claimed that after she became the world's greatest huntress it would be home again. That place was not meant for people. The war drained the north of Hunters to manage the Beowolves and the money to pay the few that remained to do so. The capitol was their future, if Qrow had any say in this.

"You didn't even look." Summer complained pulling on her red little dress, matched with the long red cloak, almost too long for her and ruffled from use. It was their mothers before she passed in the last war. Both a soldier and a Huntress. Qrow had followed in her footsteps, but refused to follow in her folly. A Hunter is no soldier; their abilities were for killing soulless monsters not enemies of a king he had never met.

"I don't need. I know what it looks like." Qrow lied to heckle his excited sister. The poor girl was giddy at the thought of a big real city. Nördlichste was the biggest town she had ever seen, and aside from the fortress there, the town was barely twice the size of their home village. Truth was this would be the biggest city he had ever seen as well. Sure towns like Vermilion and Ramsgate were fairly well sized this far from the capitol, but Wintertown that was another beast entirely. The home of modern dust technology some claimed it the Capital of the north, calling the Schnee family the "Kings in Vale" as opposed to the King of Vale. An audacious statement for sure, but not without merit. The new Schnee Company logo was appearing even in Qrow's village.

"Liar, I bet you couldn't tell me the color of the tallest building." Summer replied with a smile, catching her brother red handed, however Qrow was not without a trick. Flipping his scythe, the metal reflected what was behind them. The image was blurred, but the city was massive, stretching its reach across the horizon. Airships floated above the city, small trade vessels, and four large military ships, all with a red and white snowflake crest. It was difficult to make out from the reflection where the cities out walls and the river met. Pipelines seemed to run throughout and smoke emptied out of wintertown's corners.

"White and black, it's the Castle." Qrow let out with a cunning smile feeling completely satisfied, his silver eyes returning to the beloved country side. Coming into town as well were other carts, some powered by dust others by horse, packed with food and water for the city, easily building up stockpiles for the Schnee. A reasonable response with rebels just outside the Schnee holdings. Leaving on the same road and river, boats loaded with dust for the front lines both north and towards the mountains. Despite the war, or perhaps because of it, trade seemed bustling.

"Cheater. I saw that." Summer complained stamping her feet down on the grain bag. The vibration was no more powerful than the wheels on cobblestone, but Qrow still worried it might startle the horses.

"You didn't see anything little one, now sit down please." Qrow called out gently, not wanting to raise his voice at Summer. She pouted, but did not argue. Summer was a good girl, though willful and energetic, her silver eyes always thirsting for adventure and trouble. One might describe her as a bit of a tomboy, black hair cut barely past her jaw, not long like the other girls her age. Got in her way she said, and Qrow felt strangely proud of that sort of thinking, even if willful. "Sorry for the loud morning my friend, she has never seen Winterstown." Qrow added speaking to the driver up front. A somewhat gaunt, but sweet man, He was kind enough to help a Hunter along the path. Sure it made certain no one would attack his small shipment, but Qrow had no delusions this was anything, but a free ride.

"Aye, here is the future. The little miss can be as excited as she please, doesn't hurt no one anyhow." The old driver shouted back, likely rubbing his bald head as Qrow had noticed him to do whenever he spoke, overly mindful of his thinning hairline.

"Told you I'm fine!" Summer called hearing her defense. She seemed happy still taking in the sights, her kicking her legs in a childlike fashion. She was always more fascinated with people where Qrow preferred silence of a nice riverbed or meadow. Soon even that disappeared. The scenery around Qrow began to shift a little. Around the road small wooden stake pits sat silently, the earth uplifted to form small rifle trenches. Stakes began to give way onto a small wooden palisade, the first of many stops.

"Halt! What's your business?" One of the guardsmen shouted. Warm cotton coats running long to their boots, a more personalized version of the kings regulars, dressed in Schnee white hosting rifle and pike on their shoulders. Some had the bonus of a plate of armor over their fusilier's coat, though most didn't. Hunters could use their aura to supplement armor, but to the average riflemen without unlocked aura, it meant nothing to a well-placed round of fire dust.

"Just more food grains for the market sir." The driver replied with a nod. The guard made note of the Rose family however and raised an eye in protest. Perhaps war refugees had become a sort of issue. "Just some of the family, come here to help me unload is all sir." Summer was smart enough not to protest, instead just excitedly watched the guards go about their duty, fortifying the outside defenses.

"Alright, no Faunus so I'll let you in. The main gate will require a sort of refugee tax and safety deposit. Have twenty lien ready, you'll get ten of it back on your return. Have it ready." So that was a problem, or at least the Schnee had no qualms about recovering war debt through the needs of others. While refugees would be a fiscal drain in the long run, putting the burden on neighboring merchants traveling through every day the cost could easily be recovered and then some with the blame resting on the common people running from the war. Clever.

"Understood and thank you sir." Was the only reply. A whip and the horses marched forward. The road past the palisade was more congested, load trucks and nervous horses moving both ways. Summer stared silver eyes wide at the mass of tents and wooden defenses that had been popped up along the inside of the barricade. Small mounds and hills formed cannon emplacements and dips into trenches. All trees had been cut down for the bulwark and chains ran under the water waiting to be pulled to lock any boats out of the river. The camps seemed orderly however, with few vestiges of the more unsavory camp followers were about and all and all the affair seemed peaceful.

It wasn't long before the main gate came into view. Outside it three lines formed. One composed of people and outgoing vehicles picking up their butchered deposits, a second the line of refugees and merchants offering their tribute. The last line was slower, a mix of both. Faunus all being searched checked and paying twice the taxing and receiving none back from what Qrow gathered out of the shouting. In much of north Vale the war brought little peace for the Faunus. Even in his village old Faunus families were seen with more distrust.

The king's call to forcibly "relocate" Faunus had seemingly fallen on deaf ears by north Vale's more independent lords, starting with Lord Schnee himself. It was not out of selfless love of course, but need of workers. The winters were rough on the newly industrial north and Faunus made perfect workers. Many went north to seek asylum, but found it a false promise, serfdom as opposed to relocation. This population disparity caused the revolution to be strongest in the north, at least in Vale. Of course rebellion lead to distrust between races and even human serfs began to see them as enemies. Qrow felt for both parties. The northern lords ran things as they always have and now were suffering penance for a king's ignorance and the Faunus who fought to have any sense of freedom. Gods be good he would have no part in this feud.

"It's so big!" Summer shouted in glee, pulling Qrow's eyes in front of him. Somehow they had gotten past the gatehouse and into the city streets. While the river ran not eight hundred feet from Qrow, he could not see it. The buildings stood each at least two stories, many above that. The city street was paved cobble stone, and light fixtures hung at every corner, something Qrow had only seen in the richest parts of other towns. Smoke piped out of some factories, and lights out of the stores. The smell of flowing water mixed with the scent of people, dust and industrial smoke. All above them was the one thing Summer watched. Carved from moonstone bright white wherever the sun touched it, but black in every shadow was Castle White the family sigil flying at every tower. Yet the flag of the king and Vale was strangely absent.

"We are headed there Summer, business with the master of that castle. Excited?" Qrow asked with a smile, ruffling his little sister's hair. She was still fascinated by the fortress, eyes locked onto its fantastical moonstone look. Qrow knew it was not truly made of the remnants of the moon, at least he did not think so, but the way it seemed to exist only in two shades, something only the moon did. It was astounding.

"Really? Are you a knight now brother?" Summer seemed even more fascinated by that. In no way was Qrow a knight, a dead concept from a dead time, already romanticized despite being in living memory. Perhaps he was just bitter due to mother. Either way it was good to see such a happy mystified smile on Summer.

"No better, a Hunter." Qrow replied with a wink as the cart began entering the main plaza. The center of town was filled with food and specialty tents, merchants and business proprietors filling the corners, most notable was of course the Schnee Company acquisition agents, searching for any hint of storable goods, and Schnee money lenders. Above the plaza, guards stood watch, the snowflake banner proudly on display. Here the smoke was lessened, and the lively scene seemed organic. It was here the cart came to a sudden stop.

"Knight sounds better though." Summer complained sliding down the pile of wheat grains. She seemed less interested in the hunter title, but Qrow knew she looked up to him, thinking him some hero of the people. Stepping off the cart Schnee acquisitions moved in to be the first offer. The drive seemed pleased, the thin old man stepping up to Qrow.

"You, young man, take care of yourself and your sister. Can't have no harm coming to either' you." He raised his hand to shake Qrow's, while the young hunter rummaged through his pockets for some spare Lien. The old driver just shook his head no and pressed forward with his surprisingly large hands, the hands of a farm worker. "I'll have none of that Mr. Rose, just a good shake from one friend to another." A good for of man for sure. Perhaps Qrow could return the favor one day. Until then with a shake they departed, and with Summer in tow the young hunter walked towards the towering moonstone monolith.

The closer they got to Castle White, the narrower the roads and older the buildings became. Wintertown got its name from only existing during winter, when farmers without farms to tend to would seek work here. Most went home in spring, but every year a few stayed, and from them Wintertown had become a true metropolis.

"Summer, I plan to speak to the lord of that Castle, be mindful and a proper lady while we do so, alright?" Qrow lectured grasping hold on his sister's hand. She was very bright, but still only eight years old. Although many would remark that Qrow was just a child at fifteen, his mature features disguised that.

"I'm not a lady, I'm a girl. I don't have to be mindful." Summer always had an answer to everything. She took a strange pleasure in disrupting Qrow. She wouldn't cause any real trouble of course, but these were high class people, even if of questionable morals, lacking any sort of filter was dangerous.

"So you're just a child then? Should I send you to bed early each night like a little girl?" He replied with a vaguely disguised threat. Soon the smell and sound of flowing water was back, even over the jabbering of other pedestrians and trucks. The road opened to the flowing Long-White River, the bridge connecting the city to a hill that had become an island. It was here the Northwater merged with the White river.

The Schnee had built their castle on the hill the river ran against, choosing to dig out a moat, turning this wide yet tall hill into an island. An outmost rampart rapped along the moat, only exposed for the immaculate moonstone bridges. The island was in no way small, between its outer wall and inner keeps, there must have been many spacious apartments, that or copious amount of open nothingness.

"I'll be good…" Summer said small hushed voice, in mild awe of Castle White. The bridge across was simple enough, though guards more plentiful. The bridge was designed to be raised and lowered for ships, such a thing Qrow had seen only a few times. Regardless it seemed perfectly stable and traffic across was orderly. At its gates more guards stopped them, these more well equipped in the true armor, plates with the Schnee crest engraved in them. However at the mention that he was a hunter, they stepped aside escorting the Roses inside the inner walls.

Qrow was both surprised, and uncomfortable with what he saw within. The apartments he expected were there, but most of the space was left for drill yards, barracks and stables. Each and every part carved moonstone. Rifles could be heard shooting along the range, and the straight path up to the Castle itself was rather decorative, yet practical with partitions and iron fencing every few feet. Everything about Castle White seemed to serve a military purpose, aside from the Castle itself. From the outside light could be seen emptying into the sky from some sort of open ceiling. The Architecture seemed rather archaic, almost like a church, yet the towers clearly served a marshal purpose. More than anything, with its both black and white monochrome color, and particular design it seemed something timeless, not made by hand like some of the other ruins.

A line had formed along the entrance, many other petitioners here to take to their matters to the Lord. Such an old way of doing things seemed silly, but the Schnee were known for doing things in the more feudal way. Qrow quickly saw to his black and red leather armor, making sure whatever dust or smudge he could quickly clean would be handled. Summer stood restless however as the line slowly thinned. Eventually the Roses were allowed in and the sight was even more unnatural.

"To Otto Schnee, Lord of Castle White and the three rivers. I come with a message from the Lady of Fort Castle. She asks that you raise your army to break the Faunus scourge there in the name of Geordie, King of Vale. She asks you do this for our beloved king and all of humanity." A lone messenger read off a letter within a room of wolves. The main hall was long and open to the elements, chilled autumn air drifted in through the exposure and beams of white light colored the floor. To the left many men and women dressed in the modern business attire stood unamused, clearly a political faction onto itself. To the right stood men and women, all in the white uniforms of the guardsmen, with the addition of metals and accents to mark them as officers. They stood more at attention, each seeming more angry than disinterested. Above them all in a highchair of carved Moonstone was the one this whole circus waited on.

"If our beloved King wants my help, he can very well ask for it himself. The fool brought this on us anyways. I don't see the point in cleaning up his mess. Tell the fine lady that Fort Castle's problem is exactly that." Lord, or Herzog in the old language,Otto Schnee. Supposedly the most powerful and rich man north of Vale, and hopefully Qrow's newest employer. The man had famously founded the Schnee Company with his brother, the modern arm to their traditional family. Though the founder of the modern family was supposedly Konrad Schnee, Otto had made them a household name as far as Qrow's old village. He was also famously irate and clearly past his prime, the old man carried himself well. Wrinkled, but unbent, Otto was still tall, hair thinning, but with the famous silver and eyes of ice. Qrow noticed a sort of mocking grin he had, like the man was amused by everything.

"My Lord that is our king?" The messenger muttered just loud enough to spread a slight murmur throughout the court. The left laughed, right frowned, and the center line of petitioners whispered rumors. All of this Old Otto seemed to find amusing.

"Bloody much to show for it, eh? Perhaps I should march our army with a Faunus flag, bet that would jostle that fat fool quite a bit. Ha! Oh how I would love to see it. Old Geordie might just kill over!" Otto joked alone laughing heartily at his own jest. Both parties had mixed reactions, some smiling others looking both ways in fear of judgment, but no one chuckled as hard as Otto. "Enough, I have been charged with protecting the rivers, and in the king's name the rivers are ours. If the Lady seeks asylum we can protect her, but my knights remain here, just as my daughter said to you before." Otto gave with all officially required acknowledgements of royal authority. He waved the messenger away, strong hands calling for the next partition.

In front of Qrow was some sort of man at arms, dressed in a similar uniform; however the snowflake crest was a deep red. Stepping up to emptied floor, the man seemed small despite his sturdy posture. Lord Otto rolled his eyes at him however, clearly expecting something.

"My Lord, I come with word from Vermilion. Our warden, your cousin my lord, he requests the Vermilion Guard be allowed to return home. Better to hold your lands at the border, than here at the center. I am sure you will see sense in that where others have not." Another set of murmurs exploded as Summer fidgeted in line. Poor girl was not suited to this sort of thing. A loud stomp rang through the hall, followed by another. Bolting through the military right was a woman.

"What is my title?" She shouted, dressed in a long white and red officer's coat. It's reached all the way down her heels, the purest white Qrow had ever seen. Almost as white as her skin. The jacket and heels were ordained in red and blue, though only slightly. The Snowflake crest was clear on her jackets front, buttoned straight and perfect. The woman's silver hair was long reaching all the way past the small of her back, yet the bangs cut short and straight as not to interfere with her sight. She had the deepest blue eyes, and a snowy complexion, marred only by a small, but jagged scar on her lip. She was a beautiful woman, but frightening to the core and the muttering behind Qrow only reinforced that. Word was she was the Queen of Ice and Snow, the Heiress to Otto, oldest child of the family and the strongest Knight in the Schnee holdings.

"Weiss Schnee the second, lady of Castle White?" The Vermilion man shot back, not easily impressed or intimidated, however he did not reply rudely. This woman was above his station and Qrow could see the sense of inadequacy start to set in as she approached him.

"And what else?" She asked closing the distance; this Weiss was taller than him. She did not smile, did not share her father's sunny disposition.

"Heiress to Lord Otto." The Knight replied somewhat more feebly. He took as step back, only slightly and Weiss took a step forward to match.

"Hochmeisterin des Ritterordens. A knight above all knights. I am the commander of our forces, including the Vermilion Guard. From Castle White I can lead an army to any corner of our holdings in just over a day. Tell uncle if he wants his men back he will have to take them." The shot of her voice was ringing through the halls, as much of the right party broke out into smiles and laughs, most loudly of course was Otto, the uncaring old man he was. The knight's expression twisted between embarrassed and anger, turning redder as it went. "Next time, speak to me directly sentinel and we may avoid making another scene. Do not attempt to circumvent my authority again. You are dismissed." Weiss added refusing to take a step back before the knight did.

"Haha, the mouth on her! I most certainly raised you child. The motion stays, next petition." Otto said with a laugh forcing the Vermilion knight to leave.

"I told you knights are cool." Summer whispered pulling Qrow's leather armor, like the child she was. He nearly started fighting with his sister right there before another booming call snapped him back to reality. Slightly unnerved, the young hunter walked into the light, center of the room all eyes on him. Summer followed, but clung closely to him, disliking the attention

"You, boy, I do not know you. State your business." Otto stated coldly, the old man seemed to be getting tired despite his previous bouts of laughter. Qrow inhaled a deep breath, silently clearing his throat and nerved. He looked right at Otto, never letting his silver eyes turn away, just staying focused, serious. He was a Hunter, and Otto was an old man, no Ursa.

"My Lord. My name is Qrow Rose, this child is my sister Summer Rose. I have come here looking for employment. I am a Hunter, Beowolves are my specialty, but I have taken down much stronger prey before. I wish to do some work before moving on to Vale." Qrow spoke clearly, hoping not to seem desperate or showy. Let them no he was not interested in wasting their time, but rather perform simple business. Otto smiled at this, though the look in his eyes told Qrow that the old man was not on the same page.

"So you heard we are stocking up on Hunters. This is true. Ever fight a war before Mr. Rose was it?" He asked leaning forward in his chair. All the hunters and huntresses were finding work as soldiers, as they did too often in war, forgetting their purpose. Qrow would not continue his mother's mistake.

"No my lord and I don't intend to. My scythe is meant only for the soulless." He did not try to sound snarky, instead preferring clear and concise. Otto was less amused, but not angry. The right group immediately lost interest in Qrow though some chatter could be heard from the left faction.

"And there you go suggesting they have souls. I'm looking for skinners, not an idealist. Let a day's hunger go and perhaps you'll change your mind. Until then, good day Mr. Rose. Next." Otto called and already behind him some woman began to take the same short walk to center stage.

"Understood my lord. Good day." Qrow added, feeling a sense of dread and discomfort. He had no idea what they could do. The little Lien they had could not get them out of the city, nor provide them with living conditions. Perhaps he could find his sister some shelter, but not both. "Come Summer, we have to see to a place to sleep" Qrow whispered, pulling on Summer who seemed vaguely aware of the situation. She said nothing as they walked back through the crowd of petitioners. Footsteps seemed to hurry behind him, but Qrow did not take much note, concerns of food taking priority. Perhaps manual labor could be worked out,

"Mr. Rose! Would you please wait a moment?" The footsteps found a voice, fairly pleasant and formal. Qrow turned around to find in a fine fur trimmed jacket not unlike the knights, a man he recognized from the left group. Dressed in all white, this time with no red, but more blues. His clothing was more comfort focused, though not lacking in that small quality of formal knighthood.

"Who are you?" Qrow asked taking note to memorize the man's face. He was young, not much older than Qrow if at all. He was clean shaven, skinny like Otto, yet livelier and even a little red. His hair was short silver, but the same ice eyes as the lord. He was decidedly handsome, unusually so even.

"My name is Wilhelm Schnee. I run Schnee Dust Company. I have a job for you." He said in a smooth voice not as hostile as any of the other members of the family, gifted with a much easier smile and softer personality.

"I will not kill Faunus. I'm sorry." Qrow responded animatedly. He didn't mean to sound rude, but he would not be a part of this folly.

"How about a Nevermore?" Wilhelm replied with an easy smile.

*****First off I'm SOOOO sorry this is late. Had some work, a calc test and personal emotional stuff all kind of hit me so I'm really sorry about this. I got a paper to write than back to work with me.**

**I wanted to do a few thank yous. First to Frozenhikki who provided all the german translations for this, next is to Kuribayashi for giving me permission to reference Vermilion and basically make it canon in the Vale series because it is the best Fanfic. Of course they are set many many years apart. Both of them are really cool people and talented so check out their stories if you haven't already.**

**I had a few questions on this, but for the timeline I'm putting the Faunus war around 40 years prior to the events of RWBY proper. I based this off a researching small tidbits of world history we know and I think that estimate functions. I feel like with what little info we have it's the proper place, and thematically it's stylized as the later imperial age and fall of classical feudalism with a little dash of world war one added. Next in this chapter before some of you get mad about Summar having a red hood not a white one, relax I got this, I know just wait.**

**Hope to see you soon and thank all of you who are giving Autumn Vale a chance, I know it's a bit different so thank you guys and gals so much! Chapter of Melting Vale will be up as soon as it gets finished through beta!**

**Elfen.**


	3. Chapter 3: Offers and Armies

Chapter 3. Offers and Armies

Charles the Black Cat of Fort Castle

"So is that what they say?" Charles voiced, spinning a dagger along his thumb, the double thick leather protecting him despite the blade's thin point. An unsafe habit, but one he had since his father first tossed him a skinning knife. It was these little idiosyncrasies that let him remain who he was, lest the stories about him and false glory trick Charles into thinking himself better than the luckiest superbly unlucky hunter that ever was. Not even a grimm hunter like Miss Thryrm. No, deer and small animals for eating was his prey. How this even started grew more and more distant and confusing as the days went on.

"Yes Sir, they say you turn into cats still and haunt the castle. Say you steal children in our sleep too." The little captured squire girl explained nervously handing Charles a glass of water. She was a sweet little thing, if dreadfully ignorant of his people. She cried a lot early on, earning the poor girl some unwanted attention, but soon the prim and proper knight's daughter turned into common folk. Hair unkempt, smelling somewhat unclean, she had become Charles impromptu serving girl.

Though she always looked so sad, Charles found some interest in her perspective. She was in a way a very good indicator of the moral in Fort Castle, and apparently it had suffered quite a bit over the last few weeks. So from time to time he would bring her under this converted barn, now command center and he used that term lightly, to talk and give her rest from the rain and noise of the outside camps.

"And what would I even do with these children?" Charles ask in a somewhat mocking chuckle, a small smile crossing his lips as he took a sip from the slightly spiked water, just a purifier. It was kind of laughable that they would bother coming up with new reasons to hate him. Seemed being a Faunus was always enough before, a glorified brigand on top of that, and a poacher even before. Yet somehow the silly humans felt the need to add child kidnaping and magic to the list. Charles at least supposed it was a little funny.

"Eat them, least that's what they been saying. You feed on them like wolves and all." Well that felt rather unappealing. No, Charles did no such thing and the thought of it seemed dreadful, not to mention wasteful. _'Why children?'_ If man eating was really so necessary, wouldn't adults be so much more efficient? The insults did not bother Charles that much before, he could be called a monster by all manner of human opposition, but such a wasteful monster at that, now that was offensive.

"You believe it?" Charles asked directly, kneeling down to the little squire girl. She seemed to feel awkward at this, shifting away just a bit. Child was likely not used to seeing the shimmering yellow eyes of his people. Neither his fine black hairs, nor his cat like ears would likely give her any comfort either. Still the child did not baulk, instead straightened up and looked back at him

"If you did, why would you feed me instead of eating me? Doesn't make much sense, I guess." She replied voice rather hushed in nervousness. The response made Charles smile, and the little squire seemed to take more kindly to that.

"Smart girl. No I don't turn into cats or eat anyone, wouldn't be as hard to feed everyone if I did, must admit." Charles replied reaching out to muss his server's hair. She seized up, this was not surprising for a prisoner, but Charles paid it no mind. His little friend reminded him much of his deceased sister. A pleasant sort of girl. "I like the cat story though, wish I could see where they keep their dust, wouldn't know that would you Pan?" Charles asked considering now a good time to probe for a bit of information. The little girl stood awkwardly thinking for a moment, not saying much.

"Guido use to say a prisoner is only as valuable as the stuff they don't say." She replied, little Pan taking to heart some of that old enforcer's damnable advice. Charles hated Guido; he was an oppressor. Not the worst he admitted. Kind enough to ignore Charles' poaching for food, but cruel enough to abuse his rights. Charles still felt guilty for all the things he had not stopped before this day, maybe made him just as guilty as Guido. Either way the little squire seemed to look up to the old 'knight'. She did not like to speak of him though, little girl missing that drunkard. She awkwardly scratched her head, clearly wanted to change the subject. It was then that Charles noticed something.

"Maybe" He muttered to reply, but reached over quickly pulling part of Pan's shirt up, blue and black bruises blotched across the waistband and small of her back suggesting something he was very much not okay with. "Where you get that from little one?" Charles asked, yellow eyes staring at her with a certain measured anger, of course not directed at the little girl, but present all the same.

"They said not to tell…" She replied in a small hushed voice. Charles felt his blood boil, they were supposed to be better than this. Abuse of prisoners of any kind was strictly forbidden. The realist in him replied that every warband had this sort of evil in them, and the idealist argued that his would not be allowed.

"Who are they?" Charles asked, idealist winning out over the realist. It was clear that was going to be what killed him in the end. He was sure of it.

"Charles, we got some comp'ny. A lot of it actually." A low sort of woman's voice called behind them both from the barn door, sliding open quickly to see in the usual blue engraved steel, Azura Thrym the Wolf. Famed huntress of his warband, and lifelong friend of Charles, his crutch. She stared at them both, a mean scowl forming in her damaged face. "Am I interrupting something?" The indignation on her face showed her true just nature, even if it was an accusation towards Charles. A good woman through and through.

"Azura, no you didn't. Someone's been hurting our friend here." Charles said to quickly explain, dusting off his black leather clothes and sheathing his dagger. Little Pan looked down silently, always afraid of Azura, called her the big bad wolf, despite being anything but.

"Are they now? Give me a name little one and I'll see to it." The blue plated huntress growled in her unnatural deep voice. She was born a little more wolf than the rest of her tribe tended to. It left her with a sort of growl prone voice and unusual teeth. Never the most attractive girl, Azura was feared by most, but Charles knew her from childhood. No one was ever a knight in shining armor more than her. She was the pride of the mines, the real full blooded huntress, and when her people, when her friends, were targeted she came to the rescue. She was no big bad wolf, no matter how much she pretended to be.

"You wait here little one, and when I get back we will sort this out." Charles called back to Pan, whom did nothing, but nodded quietly. Stepping outside the barn, the dim light of an autumn sun greeted him. Same sort of dreary hell that greeted him every fall. "As for you Miss Thrym, what do we have knocking on our door?" Charles replied taking stock of his camp. Outside tents and Faunus were everywhere, some standing watch, others digging trenches, some taking a piss in the direction of Fort Castle, a daily insult to which they replied with the rare cannon blast. Never really struck anything, but with the Walls of Fort Castle so close the separate forces could literally shout at one another. In fact many of them had grown accustomed to.

Charles' cousin had taken to calling them the "Friends on the wall", heckling the gunners of Fort Castle daily, shouting curses and sharing stories about how one would do something to the others mother. It was very clear that neither force was willing to make any move, so both factions simply dug in, taking maybe a shot a day. Fort Castle had not enough dust to shell the sieging Faunus, and his men and women didn't have any guns to knock down the walls. Instead they shouted all sorts of expletives at each other. At least a comment on his mother was less likely to send Charles to an early grave.

Fort Castle itself was something else. Crafted half from what his people called "the old fort", ruins of some previous structure, before Remnant was a remnant, fused with a modern keep. The stone was, at least from the outside, a white sort of cobblestone or marble, mixed with the modern carved stone slants. Either way it was old, founded by some warrior whom human legend had it killed the last of his tribes' kings. In their story that woman just oppressed small Faunus villages. Charles supposed it would be his turn to make up lies when he took the old fort.

"Seems' lot of the Leo clansmen, come in our camps with their targe and claymores, and I mean a load of them." Azura said shaking back Charles to the world of today. 'So the Leo was it?' The Leo were a type of Faunus not native to Vale, pushed into it from something they referred to as the clearances of Mistral. They moved into the lowlands just north of forever falls, taking with them their culture and martial skill. Lion like in looks, and constantly wanting to show off a sort of vain bravery, they were one of the first to raise the flag of rebellion.

"Who is the leader?" Charles asked feeling confused. Leo clansmen would mean more men and women to fight, but the Leo were the ones heading the fight in forever falls. The scattered couriers claimed they were fighting close enough to Vale to make Tyrant Geordie send his own son off to fight them.

"Murray." Azura added as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Cithaeron Murray the Fang!? Isn't he supposed to be leading the fight south?" Cithaeron, or Murray as he preferred being called, was the big leader of the fight near Vale's capitol, famous for loses, but ones so bloody it sent the Vale's army home in tatters. He was as legend, as he was tenacious, large and loud. At least so they said.

"Maybe likes the north better Charles." Azura responded thinking nothing of the Faunus hero. She was that sort of type never believing much until she saw it. Something Charles had always inclined to agree with.

"What do we do about the girl's beatings?" Charles said somberly changing the subject to the previous and more emotional one as he pushed through the camp. The ground was mostly flat with trees and mud boundless. This place was rather soaked throughout autumn. Useful when attacking caravans, annoying when sitting on a siege.

"I'll handle that one Charles, don't you worry. Better play everyone's favorite; I can be the big bad wolf." Azura replied. They had always been close. She had pretty much been Charles' bodyguard since he turned five. She beat up school bullies for him, stood up to the mine's guardsmen when they wronged him. She even unlocked his aura, taught him to fight almost like a hunter, though never with the same heroic grace she had. Now she was taking on his devil's work of disciplining the warband. Charles earnestly believed he never deserved as good a companion.

"And here we have the mess." And so it was. Leo all around, men and women, some with reddish hair others with gold, but the lot were all muscle, and had half a foot on any of his people, the tallest of them easily had a foot on Charles. Most of them had fairly tan skin, dressed in loose cloth and furs with bronze armor additions, common of their Mistrailian homeland. Though their weapons were of special significance to the Leo, most armed with traditional Claymore's and round wooden shields similar to the Mistralian bronze ones. Some had more modern equipment, but few wielded them as proudly as their sword and targe.

Out of the corners many of these Leo seemed to start dispersing into the camp, some of the Simian Tribe of Forever Falls in toe as well. The force was slightly overwhelming and strangely professional. Leo marched in orderly lines, though on arrival many broke out to roar defiance against the walls of Fort Castle. Seems his warband had near doubled in size in less than an hour.

"Charlie!" In a sea of Leo and their Simian allies the man of the hour was visible, or more like audible, even over the cacophony of a mass march. Although butchering his name, Charles felt a bit of a smile cross his lips; wasn't often he got to meet a Faunus hero. Seeing the famed Murray was far different than hearing about him. The Faunus was not so much taller than any other Leo, but carried himself with certain gravity. It made him appear a titan among beasts. He had the toothiest smile Charles had ever seen, a band of red hair from the top of his head to the tip of his beard was unmanaged, seeming like one big entity, only interrupted by red round furry ears. He had stuffed himself into bronze armor shaped in the form of a bare chest, much as Mistralians did, but patches of deer furs popped out of the lining a sign the man could not fully deny the cold autumn air.

"Cithaeron Murray I can only assume?" Charles asked with outstretched arm hoping to respectfully grasp his hands in a healthy shake. That audacious mass of bronze however was not so timid. That beast just picked up Charles in a hug crushing the full grown Faunus against said breastplate. Charles thought often about how he would die, never was it in the arms of a bronzed Adonis.

"Lad, we are companions in arms, call me Murray all my friends do!" He gave as his reasoning for the embrace, voice thick with his people's accent. He had no problem lifting Charles, despite his weight, gear, weapons and now shattered authority. Azura as always was there to rescue him, that beautiful armored beast of a woman.

"Murray, put'em down else I'll get mad." She said in a low sort of growl, one Charles was very familiar with. Murray laughed but understood the point, dropping Charles, whom fell gently to his feet. A very nimble person if Charles could gloat about anything. With a cough for air, and quick dust off for comfort, Charles centered himself wanting the bitter business of the day to be the focus.

"Mister, or is it Chief Murray?" He said with a serious, but cordial tone, trying not to offend in the massive warrior. "What are you here north for if I may ask?" His Leo were a pleasant sight for sure, though the issue of food, water, space and other logistical nightmares would likely force a battle on him. More importantly he needed to look this gift horse in the mouth in case it was an omen of something more problematic.

"We're here to help you get yer castle boy!" Murray replied with a laugh and a thump against his breastplate. He spoke as if that was going to be the easiest thing in the world. The man was clearly endlessly endearing.

"What about Forever Falls?" Charles asked in almost unison with Azura, both speaking with a sort of suspicion. Forever Falls was the gateway to the north, and one of the few strong points for the Faunus, rich with small villages, but few cities and forts. Grimm population too high for most people, it was the perfect place for Faunus on the run.

"We lost there, I killed the prince, but some old man at arms rallied them, some sod named Philip Arc. Prefer being beaten by a farm hand than that prick of a prince. Ya should have seen it Charlie boy! I knocked his head off like a petty ornament. Rolled right into river it did, Ha!" Losing the prince of Vale was a massive blow to the royal forces, but not worth another bloody defeat. Especially bad enough for them to actually lose Forever Falls.

"Won't the army follow?!" Charles shouted losing his head a little. The North was finally turning in their favor, with the major regional power staying neutral. The royal army showing up would reverse all this fortune and work. Charles did not show the panic in him, but the paranoia of failure was whispering sweetly into his ear. Damn the self-doubt.

"None can, old Philip pushed us back, but they be bloodied up bad. The kings' pushing for another levy under the bastard Prince Lagune, or General Lagune as I hear he calls it. Calling for the allies too, pulling together a big force. Figure it'll take some time, and if they march up through Forever Falls, the Simians would bleed them like a fine pig. We need us a victory boy, we need this Castle before the bastard comes." The bastard Lagune was an up jumped individual of illegitimate royal descent. The war cost the lives and homes of many of the Faunus people, but it also ended a lot of the royal line. Suddenly an unimportant figure like Lagune became a General, despite no experience. It was strange, before the names of these people meant nothing to Charles, now he paid the utmost attention to Vale's royal politics.

"No pressure. Well we shouldn't have any major problem I'd guess at with these numbers. We need to start building ladders and making ropes… The storming will not be easy." Fort Castle had little in the way of dust, but plenty of soldiers left and arms to fire. The beginning would be bloody and seemingly one sided. Eventually they could break through, knock down the gates most likely. The numbers lost over something called 'Fort Castle' just made him angrier.

"Aye, nothin's easy Charles." Azura said speaking surprisingly softly for her taste. She always seemed to sense when Charles felt the pinnings of self-doubt haunt him. Resting her hand on his shoulders, he felt a little reassurance.

"Nah, it will be, our numbers will easily five to one." Murray said in a low sort of way, raising his brow and stroking his beard as he looked at the camp.

"Count again Leo." Azura added looking at the camp herself, it was very clear, that while Murray had brought a large warband to merge with the besieging force, the manpower was not even close to that, perhaps three, three and a half, but no. They had nowhere near that force. Murray however, turned to them with a twinkle in his eye and a toothy grin.

"Just wait, we got more coming from the north." He let out smiling the biggest Charles had ever seen. The old Leo let out a bellow of laughter, celebrating a victory they had not won yet. "The Taurus. Lad, you're more famous than ya think." Charles could not conceive of how. He built his warband on the concept of fighting without fighting. He won no real pitch battles, fought none either. Now the Taurus were coming, an irate bunch.

"How do you think we are going to feed them all?" Azura said in mild exasperation, sending Charles back to a cold reality. Food was already a problem. Looked like they really had only one choice.

"We'll have to win quickly." Charles said with a harsh breath, the autumn air feeling colder than normal.

It was in that moment, standing with Murray and Azura that a familiar horn rang out like a shock in the sky. Men and women dropped, ran or picked up weapons depending on whether they expected cannons, snipers or men at arms to come streaming down from those white stone structures. That horn used to mean traveling nobility to the mines when Charles was growing up. It was the sound used to signal the start and stop of work, when guards would come. When a poacher like him would need to hide his freshly killed deer. Charles had always run from that noise, now he was running to it.

Cannon shots, mortars, rifle shots, arrows, soldiers from the gates, none of it came. Instead an older man stood next to the lowest portcullis, it was difficult to make out his appearance from a distance, but he clearly had a shaved head and clean beard for the most part. His stance was straight, uncomfortably so, hands open to mark him no gunner or threat, though guards stood to his left and right.

"Faunus, send your leader, we wish to call for terms!" He shouted in a pristine pensive speech, something that always marked the worst kinds of men in Charles' limited experience. His words were met with mostly silence. Clearly not one of the usual 'friends on the wall' his cousin talked about. Didn't stop the hooded idiot from running up and acting like it.

"Fort Castle you can s-" Charles ran out and stopped the fool from saying anymore. If this really was terms, it was the one opportunity to get the castle with no bloodshed. Perhaps they had realized how doomed this fort was. The Lady of Fort Castle likely wanted out, to run away and leave her people. Cowards, but Charles was happy to accept an offer like that.

"I'm Charles, I lead this warband, if you have anything to say, say it!" Charles said rushing out in the clearing, making sure not to go too far as to be lost. His eyes shifted to the gunners along the wall and of course his loyal friend was right there with him, her tower shield larger than he, and strong enough to take any heavy guns they had.

"Charles, the Lady of Fort Castle wishes to give you an offer!" The old man replied with a certain practiced tone on his tongue. He spoke with no pleasure, no joy, but a distaste for this discussion of terms. Clearly the man was not in favor of whatever the situation. His displeasure was not Charles' concern however.

"What offer?!" Charles shot back, trying to keep calm and controlled despite the circumstance. The wind was picking up and the leaves blew with it. The camp behind him stirred with talk and motion, but outside the treeline, in the muddy build up to the castle, there was silence.

"In light of changing conditions we wish you to end your siege and turn your attentions elsewhere, as well as leaving Fort Castle lands to be held traditionally as it has always been held, Ad Infinitum." Poor terms, to demand all things to remain as if the war had never happened. A fools terms by any measure and as such that Charles would be better of hanging himself than accepting and turning back to his good men and women.

"And why would I do that?!' Charles shouted back to the sky and grasslands for all his proud warriors to hear. The muttering behind him turned to some hooting and hollering in his favor, and a small smile crossed his lips. As scary as this was, he felt reassured by those Faunus that put their faith in him.

"In exchange." The man began, and though distant, Charles could almost see the devil's scowl on him. He choked on his words, the disdain for Charles and his kind on the old knight's face was so clear. Still the man had some integrity, his difficult to make out eyes never seeming to leave Charles, nor did his stance ever breaking. "My Lady offers her hand in marriage and the arms and armies of Fort Castle with it."

***** Well hello everyone. First off sorry for the late release, I got rather ill over the course of the last few days, and hopefully I can catch up a bit as we go on. I've decided to describe the Faunus tribes with names based on the family or species of animal they are based on. I.E. Leo for lion-people and Simian for monkey-people.**

**In announcements Autumn Vale will now be betaed by the illustrious TCR. I can think of no one more fit to be a beta for the Vale series. His support has been unmatched and I have loads of respect for him.**

**Next is, for those not reading Melting Vale, if anyone one here isn't I'd recommend it, I'm hosting an art competition details on there that I might be spreading to Autumn if anyone would like to submit for there.**

**Either way Next Chapter Qrow finds employment and perhaps unintentionally the strings of a puppet.**


	4. Chapter 4: A Last Invention

Chapter 4: A Last Invention

Qrow the Young Hunter

"Friedrich you should play for me!" Qrow's little sister shouted grabbing her new friend by the shoulders. Her eyes reflected the young Schnee boy's hair perfectly, the child was not that much older than Summer. He seemed a bit withdrawn, his blue eyes not as bright as his brother's smiling sapphires. The older Wilhelm was amused by energetic Summer's audacity to demand much of anything from them, taking it much more affably than Qrow, whom found such familiarity with the high stations dangerous.

In such a short time Qrow had become somewhat comfortable with Wilhelm, a talent that was treacherous for a man to have. Anyone that good at making friends was not to be trusted. "Come on little brother, you should play her a song when we get back home. You were showing everyone the other day." Wilhelm said not coming to his brother's rescue, much to Friedrich's displeasure.

Qrow wanted to call the atmosphere tense, but that young Schnee found a way to make it just not. The familiarity in his tone, the way he treated everyone as a dearest friend. It had only taken a few minutes to convince Qrow of this mission. A trek out to a distant Faunus settlement, one within Schnee holdings. It was home to one of the family's many dust mines built right into the local mountains. The highest of them ended in a perch perfect for nevermores, and just as one would suppose two of the winged monstrosities had built a nest there. Wilhelm had hired Qrow to remove the newest grimm tenants, work he could very well agree with. Finding out the trip would be between the four of them, Summer, Wilhelm, and the ever sullen Friedrich was a little unnerving.

"There is no point in the piano. If I can't play better than a machine I'm wasting time." Friedrich said with a cool sort of lonely gaze. He was thin and tall for his age, skin with that unnatural Schnee pale. He dressed in purest white, with little in the way of accents on his clothing. The sullen boy was allowed along, with his military style white coat, a white sort of cape thick to keep him warm. He was a severe sort of child, and one Summer had decided would be her friend or she would die trying. With these sorts of people that was far too likely an end of the lower classes like the Roses.

"For me!" Summer voiced kicking around in her fine leather setting. Qrow winced at the comment afraid Summer's simple answer might offend their new employers. However Friedrich just frowned and shook his head where Wilhelm smiled and patted the little brother on his head. The strange car cabin they were riding in was set like a carriage with the passengers looking at one another. The inside was finely decorated in a mixture of wood, metal and leather. This was not the fine silks that Qrow would have expected from this kind of wealth, but the Schnee seemed surprisingly naturalistic in their decorations, preferring fine over extravagant. This sense of moderation was likely what propelled them to infinite wealth, among other things of course.

"You should not worry so much about what father says. You enjoy piano, you do not need to be perfect." Wilhelm said lightly to his brother, the gentler man ruffling Friedrich's hair. He pouted for sure, but the young Schnee did nothing to complain, letting his short silver hair be mussed up a little. It put Qrow at ease to watch them despite himself. The two reminded him of his own family, though the difference between Summer and Friedrich was apparent to anyone at first glance.

"Yes I do." The boy replied to his brother a little bitterly, but it did not seem to faze Wilhelm in the slightest. Instead he shrugged defeated though with smile. Qrow tried to turn away from the two, looking outside the passenger's cabin. The ride so far had been unusually stable, lacking the jerky motions he had grown to associate with cars. Outside, looking through a thin glass frame, was field's endless. Winterstown was distant from here, but the valley was very similar to the area around it though still dark, being earlier than sunrise. The elevation was increasing and with it, so did the trees. They were slowly approaching the mountains and so the early season snow seemed to start appearing in melting patches.

"Friedrich teach me how to play when we get back promise!" Summer asked, still bouncing in her seat. The little one had no fear for the two lordly people they rode with, easily tricked by Wilhelm's comforting atmosphere and Friedrich's relatable age. Qrow hadn't been lulled into forgetting his station. He was well aware that asking such things was beyond unacceptable.

"Summer I don't thi-" Qrow began, but a hand stopped him. Wilhelm had reached over grasping the red hunter's knee, giving him a wink as if to say 'leave it be'. Summer kept on the poor boy and at some point he seemed to mouth 'fine' without saying anything. His brother smiled at this, leaving the two children to play. Instead those cheerful blue eyes turned back to Qrow, making him feel uncomfortable. He disliked the attention.

"Mr. Rose I for the life of me can't remember what we were talking about. Could you do me the kindness of reminding me?" Humble for what should have been a spoiled rich kid. Years of working in the family business must have groomed him for this sort of personality.

"Just over Feudalism. You say you are not a fan of the new republic movement, yet are a critic of this war. Aren't the Lords pushing this?" Qrow answered turning back outside. Talking about politics to the social elite was dangerous. Some considered Hunters an uplifted social class, but the Feudal lords were something else. He had always heard stories of plots and conspiracy, how they dragged the little people into their schemes. Qrow wanted their money, not their politics.

"The southern lords maybe." Wilhelm Schnee hissed clicking his tongue as he spoke. Wilhelm was not one to look uncomfortable ever. It was almost funny to look suave and disgusted all at the same moment, arching into his chair and delicately placing his hand to his forehead. The lightness in his touch as he only let the tips of his fingers actually made the contact the funniest part. Born for the stage. "To speak justly I am a fan of neither the lords nor the republican opposition. The age of dust has offered us new opportunities, but both have forgotten it was the old ways that kept us safe. The common people forget the stability this system insures and the royal family forgets their purpose. This has brought war and now everyone suffers." So it was the suffering of the people that motivated Schnee opposition to the war, so be it, Qrow was a fan of fables anyway.

"I don't mean to go beyond my bounds." Qrow began only barely catching himself from saying more. Qrow tried as best he could to ignore it, but he had to admit the Republic of Vale was a much sweeter verse then the Kingdom of Vale, especially when it was that kingdom that had cost him a mother and much of his freedom.

"We're friends now Qrow, speak true."

"Shouldn't the dust allow us to move beyond the old system? I don't consider myself radical, but the grimm do not require armies to maintain." And thus the old provincial military system would die with the grimm threat.

"Exactly. Maintain. I am not content with that. We have carved a small piece of safety out for us, a bonfire we just barely started to nurse, and yet everyone forgets the darkness is still out there. Dust could allow us to break free; as the enemy sits outside the flame we can spread it, build and expand. Push back the darkness." Wilhelm spoke with a passion, hands in motion providing emphasis. This was a practiced speech, one the Schnee politician had used before to insight the gentle and common. "To do this we need structure. We need people raised at birth to wield a sword like yourselves and our knights. Others wield the pen to administer and lead like myself. Lastly, those to wield the plow and pickaxe to feed and fuel. Feudalism lets us train from the day we breathe for one purpose. That is powerful." There was still something. Something that made Qrow look out to his little sister, still playing with her new friend. What of her, didn't she deserve a better life?

"But what of the…" Qrow clicked his tongue trying to think of exactly how to phrase it. The lordly had not the cleanest reputation, but were a spiteful lot when questioned about it. "Reports of abuse?" Of his family, and the uprooted Faunus, of the poor, the unwanted, the stationlesss and those who wished to escape. Qrow did not want to see Summer becoming another huntress.

"Abuse." Wilhelm stopped to whisper, seeming to try and absorb the word, taste it and feel it. Qrow was just pleasantly surprised his employer did not fire him on the spot. "It comes from fools who were not taught that every man, woman and child of those three groups is so very necessary and equal. Fear united us, with the bonfires of dust pushing back the darkness we need to spread the light. New lands, new opportunity for everyone. Perhaps it is not the system that has failed us, but the ignorance of our chosen king and his supporters." That was radical.

"Dangerous talk." Qrow said eyeing Wilhelm, who smiled noticing. It had only occurred to him now that the Schnee businessman had been testing Qrow the entire time, feeling out his allegiances and reactions. Whatever it was seemed to please the silver haired gent. He combed his hair with his fingers and just returned a sweet smile.

"Oh my you are right. I can be passionate about this; my fiancé is currently stuck in her Castle. Faunus are causing her quite a bit of trouble so I want to see peace come soon. Hopefully we can pressure the King into a repeal." A fiancée trapped in another castle? "I mean to insight no unnecessary action against our good King Geordie." Wilhelm finished with a small friendly chuckle. Unnecessary, such a vague sort of standard.

"My my, seems we have arrived." Wilhelm whispered to himself as the whole car began to jerk to a slow stop. Qrow let out a breath he hadn't even noticed he was holding. In all the tenseness, the thought to check outside again had never crossed his mind. The daylight was bright outside, fresh on the morning. The sun had only risen in the last few minutes.

The car doors opened from outside, guardsmen of some sort, dressed in the common white uniforms, repeater rifles on their backs, the perks of Schnee wealth. Summer rushed out before Qrow had a chance, stepping on everyone's feet along the way, troublemaker she was. Qrow had half the mind to shout at her, but Wilhelm let out a laugh, finding the whole affair amusing. Watching Summer, Qrow understood why. The girl dived into the first major patch of mountain snow, the first bit of it they had seen since leaving home. Here she was making a snow angel, soaking her own clothes in icy melt.

"Miss Rose, if you could be my escort?" The older Schnee gentleman asked forming a proper loop in his arms for little Summer to cling to. Qrow's little sister kicked herself up and jumped at the chance, wrapping both her tiny arms around the elder of the Schnee brothers. Her snow covered form dampened Wilhelm's jacket, but he did not seem to notice. It wasn't formal or proper, but rather a sweet gesture to the little girl. Something not just Qrow noticed. Around them the village people, Faunus mostly, took note and looked approvingly at their lord's son. One willing to be humble, even equal with a little girl, one to come all the way to a small place like this, they couldn't help, but approve. Mr. Wilhelm Schnee loved his stage and Qrow couldn't help but wonder how much of this was another act.

Little Friedrich seemed to notice too, giving an irritable sigh as he chased after his brother. Qrow felt a mixture of positive nostalgia and discomfort in this place. Around him was a village like his own. The trees were more sparse, and mountains more plentiful, but the spirit the same and that frosty air. The kind that turned one's lungs into a tundra if they didn't let it out. That soul sapping cold, it was a true Mountain village.

The layout was much the same. Taking steady steps towards Wilhelm and the far mansion that seemed an odd, almost concentrated nucleus to the village. All around hovels made from brick and straw seemed backed together, fused likely for warmth, almost none more than one floor in height. Qrow was surprised to see most had some sort of heater attached to them despite the dilapidated outer structure, though they all seemed unique with different parts and pieces.

The street, or lack thereof, was just an icy traveled trail down the center of town, again a reminder of home, both shared a near frozen river way drifting down the incline, scenting the hair with a frosty wetness. A smith, an inn, a storage house, even a would-be farm were erected by this thin river way not three feet in width that lead up to the mansion.

His home village was off by only two major inconsistencies. His was a hunting and fur producer, but this was a tightly compacted mining town and where his was filled with old hunter families like his, this place was predominantly Faunus, with only the uniformed soldiers breaking the sea of Furry ears and gaunt faces. None of them seemed to mind the Schnee much, or bother them as Wilhelm walked up to the village mansion. Perhaps they knew it was best not to question, or were so use to them. This was not the hot bed of revolution by any standards, though the division between Humans and Faunus was apparent. They never spoke to Qrow, looking down when he bothered to check. The higher status did not give him any euphoria, only discomfort at the estranged looks.

The mansion itself was old woodwork, unpainted, but finely constructed. It was hexagonal in shape, with large porches and a center tower, maybe three levels high. This was a rather nice summer home, maybe quaint by wealthy standards, but wonderful to him. If he could raise Summer in a home like this.

"Come in, he's expecting you Master Wilhelm." A rather tall woman spoke, from behind the door, opening the front for entry. She was rather tall, almost peculiarly so, though thin, dressed in a high class ladies dress. Though scuffed up some with what looked like dust residue. Most definitely a Faunus, the fox-like orange pointed ears up ending in white tips, a similar tail plum behind her. The most interesting thing was the level of comfort at which she spoke.

"Miss Nimh!" Wilhelm said with a bow, Summer nervously stepping behind him. "I've missed your company."

"Hi, I'm Summer." The younger Rose whispered not wanting to illicit ire. Qrow could see the way she stared at this Miss Nimh, with wonder captured in her twinkling eyes. "Your tail looks fluffy."

"It is Miss Summer, I can promise that." The Fox replied with a happy grin, looking now to their most brooding member of this quartet. "Master Friedrich, I've missed you. You've grown."

"Thank you Nimh." He responded politely, the child seeming relatively unmoved.

"Oh my manners, Miss Nimh this gentlemen with us is Mr. Qrow Rose." Wilhelm said with a certain flare. "Mr. Rose has come to solve the nevermore problem."

"Right this way, Master Rose. Master Wernher is working inside." Stepping inside the house was shocking. The inside had little in the way of traditional furniture or living space. Instead tables were covered in gears and canisters, models of some sort of balloon-less airship were strung about. Other half finished weapon designs from rifles to swords strung about the room. Most of the walls had been knocked down, and from any room in the building, save the upper tower or a small annex, likely a guest room, one could look into any of the other work rooms.

Summer had always had a fascination with mechanics, she had snuck off from her school teachers and such to visit their village smith and machinist and learn what she could. At first it bothered the old village smith, but soon he was begging for her apprenticeship. Here Summer let loose, running from model to model, shouting some sort of technical nonsense. Made Wilhelm laugh, but Nimh found it not as amusing, instead she clicked her tongue in annoyance. Probably the home's groundskeeper.

"Just don't knock anything over." An old man spoke from his workbench. Qrow had barely noticed him shadowed in low lighting, hunched over some sort of mechanical mess. He was a fairly fat man, no question about that, but well built. Had he stood, Qrow imagined the man much taller than the hunter.

"Uncle, it's a pleasure to see you, I've come with Mr. Rose. to-" Wilhelm started, but the older man, Wernher, Qrow supposed, raised his hand in protest, his other stroking the old man's only visible hair, a silver beard.

"I must figure this out first. I am so close. With this design I could combine a fire shot, two separate blades and even a small pick or scythe into one single design. The automatic fire cannon must be small, smaller than most anything, effective and finished, but it is much too volatile for the market." Wernher did not bother to turn around or check anything. He instead just saved his focus to the weapon on his desk, looking over design maps and other gibberish Qrow couldn't understand.

While everyone waited in silence, Summer approached and Friedrich followed. The old man seemed not to notice and Wilhelm seemed content to let them. Soon Summer was at eye level with the desk, standing on her very tippy-toes to see the work being done. The way she looked so sparkle-eyed at it, Qrow felt very happy for his sister.

"Mister...it explodes right...the fire gets into the rest of the dust sometimes." Summer finally said, stopping the old machinist in his tracks, his blue eyes finally stopping to look at her.

"That is right. I can't find a way to contain the flame." The old Schnee replied, smiling at the little Rose, her eyes reflecting his beard. The inventor seemed not the least bit intimidating to Summer, who sat thinking with furrowed brow.

"Why not use force dust?" Friedrich was the next to speak, looking over the canisters of the mystical material. He seemed to follow Summer's lead, taking the inquiry another step forward. Qrow understood little of what device they meant, but having two children of different stations work to solve a puzzle with modern Vale's most famous inventor was a sight that would make most scoff at the very idea.

"Then how would I spark it." The uncle said with a laugh challenging the children even further.

"Put a pin on the back of the slidy thingy." Summer said with a smile, pointing to something on the paper. 

"And how would I...That…" The inventor stopped in his tracks, looking down at his work and the solution of a child. Qrow had no idea what it all meant, but it was clear enough Summer had inadvertently solved the problem. The old man's hardy laugh cemented that truth. "Little miss I think you may have just done something of great importance. We have much to test." He continued spinning himself out of the chair and to the guests.

"Young man, are you this girl's….father?" Qrow's theory was right. Wernher was most certainly taller than him. The tallest of the Schnee family aside from the knight Weiss. His size in width also easily outmatched the rest of his family.

"Brother." Qrow replied in turn correcting a common mistake.

"Interesting. You are a hunter correct? After the two little bird friends of ours are we finally?" The old inventor asked stroking his silver beard.

"Yes Uncle." Wilhelm replied for Qrow, finally finding a place in the conversation. He was right about to start reaffirming terms, sliding out the previous contract, but Wernher completely ignored that, turning around back to his prototype. The nephew tried to hide it, but being ignored vexed him, clearly someone disliked not being the center of attention.

"Well you're free to use whatever I have around. They are a climb from here, ask around and I'm sure you will find a way. I'll have food for you when you're done. Right Miss Nimh?" The inventor stated waving his hands to the many models and prototypes around the room. He did not wait for Nimh to reply before continuing. "In the meantime the little one can be my assistant, good mind she had. If you don't mind miss?" Summer nodded at this, only half paying attention as she explained something instead to Friedrich, the two of them still trying to figure out the puzzle.

"Understood, what proof do you want for the kill?" Qrow replied looking forward to the hunt for the day. A long climb meant his morning was far from over.

"The bone mask please." The famed inventor replied sitting down at this desk. "A lovely addition to my collection."

Wind is perhaps the most evil sort of cold. Ice was not something Qrow was afraid of; he was born in the north, land of wolves and snow, but that wind. The thick leather vest, the woolen cloak, even fur lined boots seemed ineffectual at defending him. Each meter up the cliffside felt like another layer of ice, and it wasn't even that cold. Just the damnable wind.

Climbing along the rocky mountain path, if ever one could call it a path, Qrow reached up, his black leather shielded hand touching the exposed stone of the cliff face, jutting out of the earth, a support beam to any traveler. It was no comfort however, the wind was so chilled the stone nearly burned at the touch. Wincing, Qrow pulled himself up on it allowing his boot to push into a small opening between the moss and snow covered rock, a vertical ladder of stone.

The climb had been a long one, started with a normal crossing stair like path up the mountain, soon devolved into an angular climb. Finally all semblance of a path had been erased, the angle beginning to invert on him. Sure it had been his idea to climb up the cliffside of the mountain instead of the wedge, but that old goat herder told him it was a path, not a set of holes. The slow progression up the broken stone, moss, and tree remnants had provided Qrow with ample opportunity to review his life choices.

Still, the climb was beginning to get easy. Though the ice portion of this mountains facade was increasing, the peak of its wedge like form was coming into view. Qrow's muscles ached, burned even. The fight hadn't even started and he had destroyed his arms and legs. Despite that, seeing the edge put a reservoir of energy into his movements, and though the cold ruined his lungs, Qrow felt ablaze. The hunt was about to start. All this would pay off when he caught that nevermore nest completely off guard. Those two oversized vultures were going to pay for a thousand fires after this, and the largest meal that fat Schnee bank account could afford. Then off to Vale city, never to climb an ice covered mountain in autumn again.

Jumping, Qrow caught the ledge, muscles torn from the climb, but sturdy enough to lift his body up. Above, the wind carried with it bits of snow. The sky was grey, though the sun was fairly low on the horizon. The trail that could have been his was thick with trees, a much more pleasant angle he could not wait to go back down. Could be a leisurely woodland stroll, but that was to his left.

To his right was the nest. He popped in right next to it, the mass of branches and trees crushed into a bowl of flammable material likely hiding a fine batch of eggs. It was all ready to be cooked. First though was a slumbering threat crusted in bits of Autumn snow. The nevermore almost looked like a statue sleeping there, ignoring the bits of light that came from the low sunset. Its partner was nowhere to be found, perfect for his plan. Fighting a nevermore was not exactly what Qrow had hoped for in terms of contracts, but two at a time would warrant a much higher hazard pay than he was getting.

His plan to get the drop on it had worked. Crouching on one knee, the nevermore was still asleep, unaware of Qrow's presence. It gave him a moment to prepare, his black and red leather vest was tight, a bandolier of dust vials running across the hardened chest piece. Two weapons hung off his hips, one a double barreled hand cannon, filled with packets of fire dust, on his left a fire dust-syringe loaded crossbow meant to cook a grimm from the inside. One way or another he would roast this bird.

Spreading a little piercing dust on his main weapon, the family scythe, the blade gave off a dim grey glow, a light heat radiated a bit of balm against the high winds. Qrow was no engineer, but dust, that was something he knew. Turned a tool used mostly for farming into an unparalleled hunter's weapon. Keeping low to the ground as to make no sound, Qrow readied the scythe, hoping to lodge it into the space between the bone mask and its head, a weak fleshy spot.

Sometimes it all came down to luck, and Qrow was never the best gambler. Whether a deer or some sort of small rabbit, it did not matter. A crunch in the slopped forest snapped the nevermore to life, its eyes popping open, two of the large red ones opening right in front of Qrow.

"Shit."

Qrow rolled backwards, catching the heavy wind of the beast's roar, flapping its wings in a challenge. Flipping back onto his feet Qrow activated his semblance. The world reduced its speed, letting him think his actions out, give him the mental edge in the fight.

The nevermore bent its massive wings to fire a volley of quills at Qrow, but that extra time let the hunter turn that attack into an opening. Firing the cannon, a bolt of flame struck the wings of the beast, the burning smell a lovely one to Qrow, but that was not enough.

Tossing the cannon aside, Qrow pulled the crossbow out. The bird panicked, its wings aflame, unable to fly away it flapped to cool the fires, displaying the black breast out for him, a nice target for a bit of fire dust. Normally a projectile was meaningless against the chest of a nevermore, it would shrug off the damage, but this bolt was loaded with a syringe full of fire dust. The old Schnee said it should penetrate, here was to hoping it would.

The bolt went in, red lines of light spreading from the wound. Perhaps this would have killed it in time, but Qrow was not stupid enough to watch and find out. Spinning around, the snow kicking up as he did it, he ran, letting the icy air flood his lungs and rejuvenate him. He didn't have to see it to know the nevermore was chasing him on foot, wings burned and grounding the bastard for a time.

Qrow would never be as fast as a grim, but crows were always smarter than vultures. Pulling two vials, one of ice dust the other of fire, he smashed them together. The leather gloves protected him from the glass, but the force of the explosion almost broke his arms, or at least it felt that way. However the old trick worked. A flood of mist exploded with the dust, water based smokescreen. A giant death bird was impossible to dodge, but easy to trick.

The nevermore shot its quills into the cloud, just as expected, but Qrow had already made a sharp turn into the tree lining. For whatever reason, the monster quickly ran out of feathers to fire, perhaps a would-be slayer already tried the beast. Did it give up, absolutely not. Grimm had a blood lust to them when attacked, and so it charged into the mountain forest, shattering trees in the mist, snapping trunks from the earth.

Blind, grounded, blood boiling and entangled by shattered trees, the nevermore had lost all trail of Qrow. At least until the moment a new flame appeared, a crescent of red in a thick mist. The bird could not see Qrow, instead saw his claw, enriched with fire, its movements a rapid storm of slashes cutting up the nevermore's face. It tried destroying the flame crescent, but the blade was too fast, and the monster was blind to its origin.

Finally it was the kill, the last moment, blade still red with the fire dust flame, Qrow charged in. The nevermore's last vision was likely Qrow's form emerge from the mist just in time to swing it's blade down into its fleshy head.

One dispatched, another to go, Qrow wiped the red blood of his enemy from the woolen cloak he wore. It was a thick sticky mess removing the bone mask from a grimm of that size. The smell of it would haunt him all the way to town; hopefully they had a warm bath waiting for him. Still there was the matter of the nest.

He had enough fire dust to spare, spreading it along the giant wooden mess. Eggs were there, and so he smashed them, lest the monsters grow to be a threat once again to the town. Next he started the flame. The nest burning would keep others from moving in, and the smokey ash smell would wash away some of the stick from the nevermore as well as warm an exhausted hunter. Worn, tired and still a long way from the village, Qrow had another kill left. He would return tomorrow, restocked and ready. In a moment of madness, he decided to look out at the world's end, the wedge peak looking out into the mountain range of Vale.

Standing at that peak, Qrow tempted fate, and below he could hear it. He only had a moment to activate the semblance. Time slowed, just at the right moment, for at the peak of the world, right where the cliffs end, the slain nevermore's partner flew up black wings unfurled. 'So much for waiting'

******Hey sorry for the wait! I got caught up in a lot of nonsense and family travel! This is the first bit of heavy action I've done so far, I tried to make it feel a bit more like Qrow is a tactical hunter setting traps and planning, kind of like the witcher stories. Hope it came out well.**

**Also last Schnee to be shown, I promise. The number of Schnee only gets smaller from here! :D Hope everyone didn't mind some of the politicking in the beginning, thought it might be interesting to bring up the kind of Republic vs Monarchy stage of imperial Europe, but in Vale terms. All that lovely industrial world stuff. Also congrats if you figure out what basically Summer just helped invent! :P**

**Last bit of news I might be unable to post next week. I will be on a family vacation and I'm not sure if I even will have internet, I will try, but I literally might be unable to get on to post.**

**Thanks everyone and please leave a review, it helps so much!**


	5. Chapter 5: Price of Titles

**Chapter 5: Price of Titles**

**Azura Thrym the Huntress**

"The Taurus, are led by 'The Taurus'? Charles I don't think I quite get your new friends." Azura mused with a mild bit of whimsy. Ignoring the very Taurus chaps that seem content to gawk and hiss at the giant that protects the cat that laid the golden egg. They would pick up the blade when it mattered, whether they thought well of Azura or not, so it did not matter. None of them would lift a finger to her anyways, the bull-folk were not nearly as fearless as the stories said. Stories, what rubbish.

"Aye, I hear she's some sort of monster. Say she eats grimm to become'em." Murray spoke up awkwardly sitting among them, a new and fast friend of Charles already, though Azura did not know what to make of him. People spoke of the gent like some sort of hero, 'never won a battle yet he was the hero eh?' Sad day when their peoples' paragons could only get close. Either way his temperament was good. He had backbone to say that at least even if the Leo acted like a silly old fool.

"That's stupid Murray." Azura replied, the concept of eating grimm to gain their powers was idiocy. Nobody ever learned to breathe underwater from eating fish as far as Azura knew.

"I said I heard it, never said nothin' about it not bein' stupid." Murray finished with a laugh, the big brute slamming his hairy fist into his chest plate. Idiot would almost break the bronze that way, hand along with it Azura figured. Better than the Taurus guards around them, silent oddities they were all dressed in the same black and white garb with their strange curved single blades. Each soldier with a similar grimm bone mask carved from the white and red bone of a grimm's face. Eerie lot to tell the truth and Azura didn't like the smell of them. Anything that emulated the grimm were not friends to any being with a soul.

"Shush you two. They have their own customs, but we are all Faunus are we not?" Charles demanded, the boy looking small beside his giant and giantess. Still when he spoke Murray listened, the Leo infatuated with Azura's old friend. Here the three of them sat in a smoky tent with nothing but mats laid down to sit on and candles burning. Taurus guards at the ready both at the entrance and exit. This war tent, as the black clad bull-men called, was to serve as the meeting for Charles to see his newest devotee, the woman known as 'the Taurus'. Any luck, she was going to be just as eerie as the rest of her men and women.

"Aye Charles, and they are bloody weird customs for sure." Azura piped in unafraid and unwilling to shut herself up for the strange company. Charles scowled at her, but she just scowled back. It was their way. She had spent almost all twenty years of her life looking after that little boy, and he might be the boisterous and victorious revolutionary man to everyone else, but Azura would know Charles as the same boy she dragged out of the river lungs filled with water, boy she had to beat up bullies for, boy who couldn't hold his own a day in his life. Better that way, someone needed to humble the bastard.

"All Valeian are strange." Murray mumbled with a smile, taking note Azura's disregard for authority.

"Shut it Murray you were born here." Azura spat back in a growl, though Murray seemed to smile and wave it off. Azura had no tolerance for that. She could ignore Charles all she damn well pleased, but that was her privilege and hers alone.

"Aye and after we knock down old King Geordie's door I'll see Mistral gets its own fight." Murray started off rising fist in confidence. One war was apparently not enough for him. 'Has good ol'Vale not handin' you all the defeats one fool can take?' Azura mused feeling oddly curious at this sort of valiantry charming in a childish sort of way.

"We got one nation to fight here and now, and the Taurus want to fight it. So please. Stop your gossip and be mindful of your manners." Charles said lowly finding some balance of polite yet strong, leaning too far into the pleasantries for Azura's liking, but then again some dastardly folk would call her 'rude' so perhaps she was grading the boy too harshly.

"Ohh are we feisty now Charles?" Azure said in mock surprise grinning just a little. Charles seemed less amused, but more importantly their host even less so.

"Do you let all your subordinates undermine you?" The woman whom was called 'The Taurus' was exactly the sort of hassle Azura predicted. Draped in black cloth seemingly too thin for northern peoples, the sleeves of this strange charcoal dress long and loose and a belt of red cloth at the center. It seemed silken in origin, the patterns of red and white lines accenting it. The left hip allowed for that same slightly curved blade others had, this one however had a fine red cloth wrapped around its handle. 'The Taurus' was strangely thin, stepping so silently and daintily, yet rigid and unbent. She was as if floating to the floor. Worst and most strangely her face was completely obscured by white grim bone, a mask painted in a seemingly glowing red making the face of a monster only made better by her blood red horns that bent back through her perfect raven hair. Azura hated her.

"All speak freely in my camp, they only mean the best and are indispensable to me." Charles defended, his own eyes locked on the bone mask. 'Smart boy.' He had to keep appearances, but Azura could do as she pleased, scanning the woman for motives.

"But lack discipline. It is this reason I have never trusted the Leo." She started trying to bate Murray.

"My people live for their liberation; I am no chief who would rob a warrior of that. Been a while White-Bull." The Leo started biting onto the bate.

"Is that what they call me now?" More Taurus soldiers came in, dressed all in black resting a plate of teas before them. 'The Taurus' took her glass first sipping it through a small hole in her mask. Such a creepy woman Azura had never known. "The 'White-Bull' and the 'Fang' your people have such odd terms of endearment." She finished taking another sip and mocking Murray further.

"Strangers be the ones that call me that. As for strangeness ya call yourself the same name as your people. Isn't that a bit...how would you say? Audacious." Murray challenged, about to rise again before Charles grasped his shoulder as if to say no without saying it.

"We are all one people. This is silly. We are supposed to discuss this whole mess as equals and the terms I have been given." Charles started and drove to the point, something Azura was not about to derail. This was a strange woman, but not one to be played with like Murray. She was a man eater.

"Yes, one people. Faunus. We have been fighting for the Faunus for all my people's days in the north of Vale. We know what it means to shed blood for the cause of one people I promise." Azura cringed at that. Sure they had been in rebellion against Vale for generations, but only against the lords of Nördlichste. Often their lawlessness was seen as justification for all discrimination. "In interest of that I give you my personal name to use in private meetings, Akagura. Also in that interest I leave myself and my forces at your disposal. This is your territory and we will respect your command, for now." This Akagura paused to drink, taking a moment to herself. Murray gave a smile in relief that this was going to cause no authoritative dispute, but Charles seemed less convinced, instead hung on the woman's word, awaiting the conditions.

"In this same sentiment I hope you will listen to my advice on matters before acting on your own. Namely in not accepting this marriage. This is a Faunus fight, and while a marriage might make you a lordly man by Human law, you are not human. You will never be human. You shouldn't want to be such filthy creatures. This is our war; do not buy yourself humans to fight it." She might have been racist, but she wasn't wrong. King of Vale would not acknowledge the marriage and the army might join the cause though it was doubtful if they would ever fight a battle before losing heart and routing.

"I make no claim that we have friends in ol'Fort Castle, but what we do have is dust, arms and armor. Cannons, artillery, rifles. Horses and trucks. They be willing to give us more than soldiers and a false title. All for the low price of one ring on a finger. I say that is worth the effort Charlie." Murray cut in, not letting Akagura get her way. The Leo had been adamant about Charles accepting the offer and becoming the first Faunus Lord in all of Vale without breaking the law to do it. Talked about what it meant for Faunus and human relations. He wanted a free Vale, not a Faunus Vale. Azura didn't know which side she found herself yet. She did not hate humanity, but at the same time they were vile little things it seemed. She found fighting them as easy as grimm, except for children. Old men in their castles fat on the blood of others would never be saved, but little ones like Pan. That was ever confusing for a simple woman like her.

"Charles, think of your people. Marry into another tribe. Perhaps from Menagerie, it's a free Faunus republic whose aid could help us." The 'White-Bull' started attempting to turn Charles into a product to be sold to whichever ally mattered more.

"Whose aid is stretched thin fighting every country and is worthless this far inland." Azura piped in feeling her blood boil at the mention of Menagerie. An insult that whole place was. A prison turned into some pseudo-homeland that every Faunus national movement prayed would give them support. They talked of support, fought at sea and air, but where were they in Vale, Mistral, or any other of the kingdoms? The Republic of Menagerie was a pirate nation still desperately trying to survive as the true movement was fought in the fields. An unpopular opinion, but hers none the less.

"Faunus in southern Vale then." She began to try and appease Azura, voice filled with irritation. Clearly she did not care for being interrupted so much, though the bone mask made seeing her expression factually impossible. That was going to get irritable quickly.

"I am a bandit whose only claim to fame is a forest I bleed out of the sickly Lady of Fort Castle and a mine I broke out of by the very thin skin of my neck. I am worth nothing to anyone in this regard except a very desperate lady wanting not to starve to death on the floor, something I can understand. This is just a twist to the strange and absurd for me." Charles said laughing at the irony of whole conversation. The boy never forgot he was originally just a game hunter for a small mining village. In all this Azura regretted no one asking what he had wanted. This was after all his future. Playing this dangerous game of revolution for so long ideas of the future seemed silly. Azura knew she had also not asked, and grimaced at her own shallow friendship.

"I have said all that needs to be said. Anything you wish of the Taurus?" The young chief in all black and red put down her cup of tea right next to Azura's untouched one. Nodding knowing this conversation was going nowhere. Charles did not say it, but to his guardian wolf it was clear he was thankful the meeting was over. His shoulders slumped and breath silently released.

"I have a day to decide. I will think on your words." He offered, clearly not convinced of anything, setting his own half empty cup next to the one Murray had downed a few seconds ago. He stood first, Murray followed and Azure after that. The Guards posted at the door stepped aside in a moment. "Other than that, please have your men set up camp outside cannon range and dig in as much as possible. Thank you for your time 'The Taurus.'" Charles finished bowing as was custom for the Taurus.

"Understood. Good day Chief Charles, Huntress Thrym, Chief Murray." Akagura seemed merely to whisper, nearly silently rising and returning an ever mild bow, that bone mask hiding whatever hidden emotions she might have had about the meeting. Charles paid it no matter though. Politely as he could, he lead his entourage out of the tent. He gasped for air as soon as the boy managed to get himself out of the meeting, much like a child gasping for air after a swim. Murray laughed and Azura grinned, but slapped poor Charles on the back reminding him of where he was standing. a wet abysmal military camp surrounded by Taurus eyeing them strangely.

"It's alright Charlie my boy. She's just'a ripe bitch is all." Murray started saying it just loud enough to be in earshot of the tent. Charles gave him a sour look, but the Leo simply winked back smiled and stroked his red mane.

"Sounds like you're afraid of her Murray'boy." Azura started strangely defensive of the Faunus woman. Charles had enough of it and just shook his head making way to his own camp ignoring the two of them

"Murray we will meet the envoy tomorrow and I'll have an answer. Prepare the men and women for battle tomorrow in case I deny them or things fall apart. Better not give Fort Castle the time to come up with a plan." Charles seemed stressed, biting his thumb as if to use that pain to keep anchored to the moment, on today. Azura knew little of what she could do to help. In moments like this Charles would be locked in the maze of his mind until the boy found his way back. Azura stayed with him now to his right not saying a word. This wasn't the first nor last time he would act this way.

"Aye, don't worry Charlie. I think you'll find the Lady to your liking." Murray shouted to them as they left, off to prepare his warriors for battle. From the looks of it this whole thing was a toss-up. Azura would have to sharpen her blade. Charles would need it before this nightmare was over.

They walked together for a good while. Some of their band shouted congratulations at him, but Charles was still lost. They walked in silence. Whether he heard anything when he panicked like this was a question she never knew. Somewhere between former fields and tents Charles slowed down, allowing the heftier woman to catch up.

"What do you think of her?" He asked still biting his thumb and staring off into the abyss as he approached the converted barn house. "Murray is right. She' a bitch, I should know." Azura said trying to be at least a little funny about it. After all while she might not find this world funny others seemed to deem the dreariness hilarious.

"No need for animal puns." Charles replied, putting a dust round in any hope of having an easy conversation. The cat-like ears on him twitched and his expression was that of worry.

"Oh'nd you say I have no humor. She ain't worth trustin', 'The Taurus'. Her army makes her worth dealing with her, but never trust her." Azure could only answer truly; it was the only thing of worth to Charles. Lies would not comfort him or protect him from Akagura. Charles chewed on that for a moment, swiping back his black hair as if to clear his head.

"What do you think of the Lady and her offer?" He doubled up on the question yellow eyes looking for answers in Azara, but she had none.

"You asking if I like her?" She joked not wanting to disappoint Charles.

"You know what I mean Azura." He retorted nearly smiling, a small part of the joyous kid returning.

"You should know by now Charles I don't like anyone." She joked more, this kind breaking the wall Charles had built around himself. He tried to hide it, but the boy laughed, a thin smile on his lips he tried to shake off. His walking returned almost sort of rushed and uncomfortable with the crowds around him. Azura had no trouble following him through the mud.

"I just." He paused the thin smile fading quickly as his eyes returned a sad sort of quizzical look. Something was on his tongue, something he did not know how to say. "I didn't know if you would be….when we were kids everyone used

to say….Azura I."

"You were never man enough for me Charles don't even bother." Azura cut him off before he even began. They were meant for each other, but not quite in that way. What way exactly was a bit confusing for most, but it was definitely not that way. After all with the Lady of fort Castle and the endless admiration of their dear friend Murray he was liable to get a big head if any more of that sort of admiration came coming his way.

"Ha, you are an amazing friend Azura...I just wanted to make sure to think about it before I." Charles smiled at first, but stumbled again, a deep look of something heavy was in his eyes that tugged at him as he spoke.

"If I do this. I become a lord…" Charles was barely above a whisper, and as he spoke rain came in as if signaled. The cold or the words made him shiver as he said it, his hand shaking as he spoke so hushed the rain nearly drowned it. "There is no running Azura after that...I can't escape…We'll have to fight the other lords. Ice Marsh, Castle White, Vale...all of it." That was it; he was afraid. Charles was afraid of stepping it up, the responsibility, the war. Everything. He wanted to run away just like before. Run away from everything.

"We can't leave now you know that Charles." He couldn't hide anymore. Humanity would destroy them all if they did. They took away all choice. Running meant damnation for everyone, they had a responsibility. One Azura would not let him forget.

That was enough for him. He opened his mouth to argue, but bit down on his thumb instead, looked with enough pressure that, barring the gloves, he would have broken skin. No more conversation was necessary, and though Charles made no move to keep himself from the rain immediately, he quickly opened the door to his command center, inside just Pan whom was now restricted here until her safety was more easily assured.

"Welcome back my lord. Can I get you something?" Pan started, nervous seeing Azura with Charles. The little one adored Charles of late, though cautious of him as a Faunus. Azura however frightened the child beyond belief, like an attack dog that could be let loose at any moment. How could she blame the little one though, she looked the part of a monster and acted it most days. Took tougher monsters to hunt monsters after all.

"I am no lord yet little one. No thank you, unless Azura asks for anything all I want to know is what you think of the Lady of Fort Castle." It was still on his mind, but how could it not be? He was going to sell himself for a fortress and some cannons like a barrel of dust. Safe from the rain he did not dry himself, instead sat down in his chair to think, the already soaked clothes staining the seat. Azura chose instead to stand and let the rain drip off her armor.

"No one sees her. I hear she is sick. They say she's nice and pretty, but no one never met with her except the big knights. She was supposed to marry someone, a man, but it got postponed or somethin'." Pan babbled, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. Charles had little comment, but nodded at the girl's every word. A moment passed and the boy finally spoke something.

"Pan please play the Harmonica for me, the one I lent you….play anything."

There Charles was sitting, sunken into his seat at a table for one. Face aglow with candle light, but never as gaunt before as this. His face showed the skipped meals, the stress in his black hairs tainting it with scattered silver out of place for his age. The harmonica played and his amber eyes locked onto the table. The only plate and silverware was a map of Vale and chess pieces to mark its players. Beyond the forest stirred Vale's northern lords, all the armies and beasts risen against him, all the madness after this. How this map haunted him, a single candle to give it light. Here at the table that should have sat all the friends and family, was the curse he was stuck with. Lonely little Charles. How foolish he was to sit in the dark when friends could be close. How sad to sit there staring at a map for answers that were not there.

It hurt Azura to watch that struggle. Watch as Pan play her harmonica, watch as the fool ignore them both. Of all the things to torment him this was something she could not strike, could not kill. Responsibility for all their lives was something Azura could not do for him, could not coddle him as she always had. Charles was never meant to lead, fight wars. Too meek. He was not a hard man, was not Murray who relished it, or Akagura who felt nothing. He was a boy still, a boy who seemed to be the only one who hated the game.

"I'll take my leave Charles. Wake me when you decide. G'dnight sweet Pan. " Azura could not stand it a moment longer, did not even stay to see if Charles would dismiss her. She had to believe in Charles, the boy knew what to do. He had to. They all did. They had to be right or everyone was dead. 'Damn it all.' She cursed silently as she walked to her own tent finding her own surprise along with it. A woman in black, baring herself as if royal. The 'White-Bull'. A pale skinned wench if ever Azura saw one.

"Akagara right?" The huntress asked, knowing full well how she botched her pronunciation of it.

"Akagura. You are the wolf huntress Azura Thrym." She took a step closer than Azura wanted, getting more in her way.

"We spoke a moment ago what is it?" Azura had no patience for this. She was upset, angry, felt like hurting something. Not a smart time to bother her.

"I come to speak frankly" The pale hand of the bull reached out for Azura touching her gently on her cheek. Azure had the mind to bite it off, but Charles had enough to deal with. "They gain all their strength from you beast. You should be the one I speak to and whom they sing of." The hand was soft about delivering her toxic words, soft thumb brushing the heavy scarring on Azura's face.

"Don't even bother." Azura growled showing her teeth. Now that elicited some reaction, the white skinned Taurus, her hand pulling back, through her mask obscured whatever emotion Azura might have tasted. Too bad, it would have been lovely.

"I seek your partnership, for you deserve more respect." She spoke sadly, though the bone mask's expression remained all the same demonic face. "Stay with me beast and we can free our people with bowing to any of the human rabble." Azura had no intention of "staying" with her no matter the meaning or flattery.

"You stink of rot I be thinkin'. Rot and worms." She growled at the bull, unable to tell her reaction.

"My smell is not to your liking?" Akagura seemed more confused than offended, turning her head sideways, the bone mask seeming to express this despite never changing. It was an oddity among oddities.

"Lies smell. Leave me." Azura explained her metaphor, nearly barking it with her fury in full force.

"As you wish beast who should be Chief." She left, just as she came, the rain making her even more silent as she stepped through the mud. She seemed almost more grimm than Faunus, something that made Murray's previous joke much more serious. All things could wait however. Azura stepped into her tent feeling the weight of her armor for the first time. It shed like feathers off her, the blue and black of it dropping to the thin wooden plank she used as a floor board. Exhaustion stuck her and half naked half armored Azura collapsed into her meager floor mat. She did not fear being seen, she was still the strongest one here, not to mention with all her battle scars it was more punishment seeing than a pleasure. Instead the huntress let the warmth of her bed cloth eat her alive. The black beast of night could have her. The worries of her mind, the pains of her body, and madness of the day drift away in the only part of her life that she felt comfort from. Sleep.

The morning was just as wet as the rain with everything coated in a thick, almost slimy dew. The moistness of Autumn air was all over Azura, her hair frilled in a mess, ears perking at the sounds of horns. She had awoken to a sullen affair. No one knew what Charles had decided, but he came riding on one of the few horses the revolution had. No joy crossed that face, though Azura could find no fear either. The boy had found his spine it seemed.

"Azura with me, take the horse. We might need it." Charles announced pulling along another simple mare for her. The young leader was dressed ready for a fight, fitted in leather and knives, bow strapped to him and a rifle on his saddle. Perhaps just a bluff to make the enemy think them ready to sack the Castle, or Charles really was ready to turn them down and make a bloody morning. Azura didn't care which. She had deferred to his judgment and as always, the wolf would ride with him no matter.

Others came as well to the sound of horns. Leo warriors all in bronze with blue paint, claymores in hand to see this negotiation end. Simians came as well, the Chief's son who fought under the Leo. Murray himself ran to Charles' side. Smile on his face brighter than the morning sun. He would get his way or get his fight, no losing for the idiot.

'The Taurus' and her Taurus came as well dressed in black on horseback, some wearing added armor of wood and steel, all masked in grimm bone carved with the face of a demon. Azura was no chief, but her people considered Hunters and Huntresses perfect representation, as such her Canis blood sisters and brothers accepted her leadership. All totaled this was scattered Faunus of the forest. In truth an unimpressive lot. Hopefully the humans didn't notice.

Horns flared and with the gates of Fort Castle were open for the first time in weeks. Beyond it eyes of hungry men women and children peered out at every angle to see the now famed Charles the Black Cat of Fort Castle. Azura wondered if they were joyous or disappointed by what they saw of a young Faunus man sitting on a horse neither beastly nor gallant by human standards.

"Look lively gents, it's them." Out of the gates rode knights dressed in the castle's yellow standard and fine plate. They stood out in the forests green, the yellow unnatural and showy. Foolish. Azura's familiar armor was colored darkly as best not to be seen. Choosing the color outside of nature was idiotic. Most flamboyant of theses knights of Fort Castle road in center on a white steed, armor laced in gold, one hand on the reins and the other on a banner. It was a woman, clear from her armor shaped for a smaller frame and extended chest, though no part of her was not covered in steel. Dust rifles made such exuberance a death knell, but old traditions die hard.

"General Charles is it? I assume these are your other commanders." The leading knight spoke removing her helmet to speak more plainly to the rest. She was pretty, but not unusually so. Blonde hair cut short, practical for a knight, eyes brown as bark and smile dim. The leader rode with certain grace though sitting up rigid and straight. Someone who clearly enjoyed her rank. Another one Azura would hate.

"A collection of Chiefs, huntresses and bandits my lady. Nothing more." Charles started giving a fairly humble nod to the woman. Why he insisted on calling himself a bandit was always an oddity to Azura. He was a boy, meek, maybe even a coward, but not a bandit.

"At least you know what you are." 'Ahh, she is a joker' Azura noted wondering if she would be shaking her hand later or putting her pretty head on a spike.

"Are you the Lady of Fort Castle? Where is the older commander?" Charles asked getting focused on the point. One thing to be said for the boy, flattery and insults never fazed him. Instead his stance and attitude remained unchanged.

"My lady is ill, I am Lady Amarilla Cid knight of Fort Castle." Cid was the noble house of Fort Castle. They be the ones who conquered the old Faunus lands more years ago than any could remember. Amarilla however was a southern name, likely her birthplace. A distant cousin perhaps. "The old man?" The knight Cid asked seemingly confused.

"Irritable bald gent, gaunt and quite giddy about this deal?" The old Fort Castle commander. They had run through quite a many lately. An ambush by Charles' brother claimed one, starvation another finally a loose fire dust coated arrow killed the last. Azura found the knights she remembered from her childhood had all found themselves buried by her. These were the forgotten lot, old or very young.

"Oh him." Amarilla said derisively, nearly spitting at the mention. "Executed for treason. I will be listening to your answer." To her party's credit, everyone kept a straight face, though this was an interesting suggestion. The infighting meant that opposition parties to the merger would find themselves in a jail cell before the transition, or that loyalty of the knights was already in question. Either way Azura wanted to laugh. Another commander down.

"Think carefully Charles." Azura barely heard the whisper as Akagura spoke it to Charles, the white bone mask looking deeply at the young Faunus. Charles did not turn, or even recognize her as she spoke, but Azura could see him hear it, see his cat ears twitch and his jaw clench.

"I was born of the lowest class. I don't even have a family name." Charles laughed, breaking seriousness leading some watching to laugh as well, but Azura saw more frustration and pain in his laughter then humor. A bit of anger maybe. Mitigated, made small for so long. "How am I supposed to trust this offer? A title and a name from the same people who trampled on me for so long?" A more sullen attitude prevailed as people began to turn towards one another. Knights whispered among themselves and the whole of the world seemed to grimace at what Charles said. All, Azura bet, except for the Taurus.

"Truth is, you have us by the noose. We have no other option. We might not like it, or you, but Fort Castle keeps its word." Amarilla replied to her credit without a hint of insincerity or lies. Azura could nearly smell how she detested it, but a knight this proud and haughty about her status clearly cared about their perceived human honor enough to be frank.

"I can understand that. You have no other option…I had no other option, but to fight your kind if I wanted to live." Charles didn't sound pleased with that. He didn't have the fighter's spirit like Murray, but there was a balance to humors in him during these moments where Azura could almost understand why people followed him. Didn't change the fact that he was going to get them all killed one day, but she could see the leader in him. "This is my first real choice." Charles added with a laugh. 'You chose to live boy, it's always a choice.' Azura reprimanded in her own head. "I accept. Fort Castle is now the capital of Faunus Vale."

******** Hey everyone. Just an update on my life went on vacation followed up with a break-up of sorts and followed that with a lot of getting sick, but hopefully I'm getting better. I'm glad to get more female characters, too many male characters in this 'cus I wanted to kind of gender swap everyone's (Exception being Pyrrha and Jaune) spiritual counterpart. Problem is nearly everyone in RWBY is a girl D: More balanced gender distribution is important.**

**I feel this one needed some reworking, but I was limited due to being so late. Got to jump into MV tomorrow! Sorry for being so late and I hope you all had a good spring break, and new MV should be out this weekend! So sorry.**

**Credit for the wonderful edits go to TCR of course. **


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